My Negative Rainbow
by VividViridian
Summary: While Tsuna has never wanted anything to do with the Vongola, an unexpected request from the Ninth finally convinces him to take the first step towards becoming a leader...but one step is all it takes to fall down the rabbit hole. As he digs himself deeper into the underworld and weaves himself into a web of lies, Tsuna will have to learn that things are never quite what they seem.
1. A Letter

_"Does a rainbow's beauty lie in its display of vibrant colors? Or does it lie in its form: that of a perfect arch stretching boldly across the sky?"_

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><p>The cloudless sky was a particularly vibrant shade of blue – one could easily spot a bird's dark silhouette gliding through the air from a mile away. A small smirk danced along the small hitman's features as he did just that, waiting for the graceful creature to pass overhead. He could just barely catch a glimmer of the jewels hanging around its neck as it flew by, dropping an elegant letter into his outstretched hands.<p>

"You can't outrun this decision forever, Tsuna." Reborn's smile widened as he broke the wax seal and unfolded the letter, a small flame bursting to life at the top of the parchment. "It's about time you learned how to commit to something. Come on, Leon. It's time to break the news."

As he tucked the letter away and prepared to start walking, only the slightest glimmer in his eye betrayed the excitement he was feeling.

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><p>Tsuna's cheeks continued to redden as laughter filled the classroom. Once again, he was the center of this particularly unwelcome form of attention, having managed to wildly butcher the simple sentence written across the board in English. Even the teacher, a soft spoken and mild mannered woman, looked confused and exasperated. This feeling of wanting to sink through the floor was not a foreign one – Tsuna had felt it almost every single day of his life.<p>

"Alright, settle down," The teacher finally said, seeming to regain her composure. "That was a good guess, Sawada! Don't worry, the school year's just beginning, you have plenty of time to improve. Go ahead and sit back down."

It felt as though he couldn't get back into the seat quickly enough as she turned back around to face the board.

"You'll get it next time, Tenth!" Gokudera whispered encouragingly from behind him. Tsuna knew the boy meant well, but the words only served as salt to the wound. Unable to even muster up a weak smile, he leaned across the desk and hid his face behind his arms. The burning in his cheeks refused to die down.

It was hardly a surprise that he was still "No-Good Tsuna", but there had been a part of him that hoped it wouldn't be the case after entering High School. After everything he had been through with his family, all the training and all the battles they had endured together, he had dared to hope that graduating into high school would be a chance to start over. A new school, with new teachers and classmates, with no reputation preceding him…had that really been too much to hope for?

Apparently so.

When the time for lunch finally arrived, he was the first one out of the classroom, walking briskly down the hall in a manner that was particularly uncharacteristic of him. His fingers only grew tighter around the handle of his school bag, curling into a fist as he pushed his way past other students. It only took him a few minutes to climb the stairs up to the roof, the heavy door slamming against the wall as he kicked it open in frustration.

"H-Hahi!" Haru's alarmed exclamation quickly followed his small outburst. "Tsuna-san?"

"Oh…You're already here?" He asked in surprise. She and Kyoko were already sitting on a small blanket and opening up their lunches.

"Our classroom is right by the stairwell," Kyoko explained, giving him a curious look. "Are you alright?"

"Um," He was fortunately spared from having to explain himself as Yamamoto and Gokudera arrived behind him, followed closely by Ryohei, the rambunctious sound of their conversation drowning out anything he might have said.

"Tenth!" Gokudera exclaimed loudly as he caught sight of Tsuna. "Are you alright? You left so quickly…are there enemies nearby?"

Yamamoto laughed as the hyper-vigilant boy scanned their surroundings suspiciously, and Tsuna couldn't help but smile a bit as well despite the mood he had arrived in.

"No, it wasn't anything like that," He reassured quickly. "I was just, um…really hungry!"

He doubted he could have come up with a weaker excuse, but Gokudera didn't seem to notice, easily appeased by any explanation his boss offered.

"Did you skip breakfast again, Tsuna?" Yamamoto asked, looking mildly concerned.

"That's _extremely_ bad for your health, Sawada!" Ryohei scolded before Tsuna could even respond, although it was true that he had. It was common for him to run late, and therefore forgo eating breakfast…not to mention Reborn's habit of stealing his portions.

"Tsuna-san, come sit by me!" Haru called over to him, patting the area beside her eagerly. "I'll feed my poor, hungry future husband!"

"H-Haru!" Tsuna immediately scolded, still easily flustered whenever she used such terms, but he complied.

"Feel free to take anything that looks good," Kyoko added with a smile as the boys settled down beside them. Tsuna could immediately feel his cheeks burning as she held her lunch out with a smile, his mind racing with the possible implications behind her words. Along with his clumsy nature, the raging crush he had harbored throughout middle school was another thing that had not changed.

"Me too, Tenth!" Gokudera emphatically shoved his food out, a mess of treats bought from the convenience store spilling out of the bag. Tsuna laughed openly this time as the others began to follow suit, quickly dissolving into a mess of raised voices and pointless arguments. His mood was quickly beginning to lighten as he remembered all of the good things he had in his life now. Over the course of his trials with the mafia, he had made many good friends that now surrounded him on a daily basis.

Nearly everyone from Namimori Middle School fed directly into Namimori High, so he continued to share classes with many of these friends. Haru had made sure to get into the same school this year, and Chrome had decided to enroll with them as well. Even the members of the Simon family had followed their lead and continued to wreak their own form of havoc. It wouldn't be long before they all started arriving at their own pace, and the rooftop would dissolve into a chaotic mess of clashing personalities and violent tendencies. Amazingly, that was the time of day Tsuna had begun looking forward to the most.

"High school is a lot more difficult than junior high," Yamamoto commented as Tsuna opened up his lunch.

"Of course it is, Baseball Idiot," Gokudera grumbled. "Were you expecting things to get easier?"

"I just didn't expect it to be so much work so early in the year," The cheerful boy replied. "I'm just barely keeping my grades high enough to stay on the baseball team."

Though he felt a bit guilty, Tsuna was glad that he still wasn't the only one struggling. Yamamoto had always been talented at boosting his morale without even trying.

"The teachers have been a little heavy with the homework so far," Kyoko hummed thoughtfully. "But I'm sure it'll get better! How did you do during your first year here, Onii-chan?" She asked, turning to her older brother.

"_I FAILED TO THE EXTREME!_" He yelled passionately, eyes ablaze with some indeterminable emotion.

"Don't say that as if it's a good thing!" Tsuna cried out as the others laughed awkwardly.

"Hahi…" Haru sighed as she let her shoulders sag. "I can't wait for summer vacation."

"It's hard to believe it's only a day away," Yamamoto added. "Our first trimester here sure passed by quickly."

"I feel like I've already spent a lifetime here," Tsuna moaned under his breath, though his spirits were easily lifted by the thought of the approaching break.

"We should go on a trip!" Kyoko suggested with her typical bright tone of voice.

"Good idea," A familiar voice suddenly broke into the fray of excited agreements. Tsuna let out a small squeal as Reborn suddenly appeared from one of his many strange hiding places, stepping out of the large air conditioning unit. "How does Italy sound?"

"Reborn!" Tsuna yelled out of sheer habit, before letting his words sink in. "Eh, wait, what? Italy? Huh?"

There was a disturbing glint to Reborn's eye that immediately put Tsuna on edge.

"Here, Baka-Tsuna," The small hitman said as he held out a small piece of paper. "It's a personal letter from the Ninth."

The boy immediately cringed away, knowing well enough at this point that such a thing could never mean good news for him.

"I-I don't want it!" He cried out in pain as Reborn smacked him on the back of the head.

"Don't be an idiot and show some respect. The Ninth wrote this specifically to you."

"Oww," Tsuna whined, clutching his head with one hand as he took the letter with the other. He couldn't deny being curious, and it was difficult to argue against Reborn's point if it was true. The Ninth rarely wrote to him personally, and he could sense the significance of that fact.

As he pulled the letter out of the envelope, he could see his friends leaning in around him with interest and curiosity, and tried to shrug off his discomfort at being the center of attention. There were a few small gasps as he unfolded the paper, revealing the flame sitting alight at the top of the page. Below it, the Ninth's elegant handwriting stretched across the page, the Japanese characters surprisingly flawless. Tsuna took a moment to wonder how many languages the man was fluent in, before he began reading:

_Young Tsunayoshi-kun, _

_I hope your studies are treating you well. The rate at which you've grown has been a spectacle to watch. Words cannot express how proud I am to know such a miraculous young man. Unfortunately, as you grow older, I continue to age as well. While you grow stronger every day, I am continuously growing weaker. As such, it is growing more and more crucial that I choose an heir that will take my place once I retire. A family as vast as the Vongola cannot survive without a strong boss to guide its existence. Should this power fall into the wrong hands…I'm sure you can understand the chaos and devastation that would bring. You are easily my first choice, as I know you to be a strong and capable leader with the priceless ability to empathize and act with a conscience. _

_As you know, your sixteenth birthday is only three short months away. I cannot think of a better time to bequeath an official title of power upon you. You will be reaching an important age, one that signifies both your physical and mental readiness to join the mafia. I would like to have the chance to personally train you on these matters – as I'm sure you are aware, being a mafia boss is no simple task. I realize you are hesitant to accept the role, and I don't wish to force a decision onto you. If you truly do not want to take on this responsibility, I fully understand your reasons, and I will respect that from now on. _

_But first, allow me to say this: what you have seen of the Vongola so far is a mere fraction of the entire family. What I am asking you to inherit is the protection of hundreds of individuals. Our family does not only consist of those that fight bloody battles, but the civilians that we fight those battles for. That was the Vongola's original purpose, after all: to protect the people. It has grown corrupt over the generations, but I truly believe you are the only one that can bring it back to its original state and fulfill that noble purpose that Primo set out to accomplish. It is unfortunately a very tangible reality that hundreds may be harmed if someone other than you, with intentions less pure than your own, were to inherit this empire that the Vongola has become. _

_That being said, I would like to invite you to come to Italy over the course of your next break. I want you to see what the Vongola is, outside of the bloodshed and violence that you've been so unfortunate to experience firsthand. Come see the rich culture that you would be looking after. Come meet the community of individuals that you have been fighting to protect all this time. Before you make your final decision, please at least give me the chance to show you this brighter side of the mafia world, and see for yourself just how beautiful it can be. _

_I look forward to your reply as well as your potential visit, Tsunayoshi. I hope you'll take me up on this offer. _

The wide flourish of his signature occupied the bottom of the page. Tsuna hadn't realized it, but his hands had begun to tremble as he read the letter. He thought this nonsense had been over with, for some reason. His first instinct, as always, was to throw down the letter and run away. There was no way he could be a good mafia boss. He shared none of the faith that others seemed to have in him. And yet, despite all that, there was something that kept his eyes glued to the page and his fingers locked stiffly in place.

The fact that he hadn't already discarded it was beginning to terrify him.

"Well, Tsuna?" Reborn asked, startling Tsuna out of his stupor.

"What does it say, Tenth?" Gokudera asked eagerly, his eyes shining with curiosity and excitement. Everyone seemed to be able to sense that this small piece of paper contained something important.

"H-he wants…" He stuttered, the parchment crinkling under his fingers as they tightened further. "He wants me to go to Italy and see what I would be inheriting…if I were to be a mafia boss…"

The joy that spread across the bomber's face did not mirror Tsuna's feelings in the least.

"That's fantastic, Tenth!"

"But…" Gritting his teeth, Tsuna shoved the letter down, trying to push its words out of his mind. "I've already said hundreds of times that I don't want to be a mafia boss!"

"He's not asking you to make a decision," Reborn interjected, "He wants you to take all the factors into account before you reject the position." The hitman's face had taken on an uncharacteristically serious expression as he stared Tsuna down. "It's up to you to decide whether or not you'll go, but it's not an unreasonable request."

Tsuna couldn't argue against that, but he still couldn't quite wrap his mind around the enormity of his situation. He had always assumed that the mere notion of him becoming a mafia boss was ridiculous, and yet he suddenly found himself seriously considering the possibility. In his mind, he was able to see two different scenes playing out with stunning clarity.

In one, he was surrounded by his family and friends, his own eyes ablaze with the flame that gave him the power to protect each and every one of them. In the other, he was No-Good Tsuna, clumsy, unintelligent, incompetent, and the butt of every joke. In these two scenes, he could see two very different lives playing out, and it wasn't difficult to see which one he preferred. Suddenly, he was seeing the chance to be a mafia boss not as a horrifying nightmare, but as a chance to live up to his full potential. It was a chance to be…happy.

"Tsuna," Yamamoto placed a hand on his shoulder, pulling him out of his stupor. "Are you okay?"

His friend's eyes were full of concern. Shaking his head, Tsuna folded up the letter and got to his feet.

"I'm going to go for a walk." He said softly.

"Right now?" Kyoko asked in surprise. "Lunch just started, though. Will you have enough time to eat before class?"

"Can you please tell the teacher that I'm sick? I need to go home."

"Hahi?" Haru tilted her head, the expression of confusion and worry on her face mirroring those around her.

"I'll go with you, Tenth!" Gokudera eagerly sprung to his feet, but Tsuna held up a hand to stop him.

"No," He demanded with a stern tone of voice. "I need to be alone right now. I'll see you all tomorrow."

Without allowing another question to be asked, he turned to leave.

Quickly making his way down the stairs, he gathered his belongings from the classroom and made his way off of the campus. He was surrounded by such an air of determination and purpose that no one thought to question his motives as he simply ditched all of his afternoon classes.

It wasn't until he was just outside of his home that the small hitman rejoined him.

"So you're finally taking this seriously." He said, matching Tsuna's pace from his position on the wall beside him. Rather than answering, Tsuna simply came to a stop and tilted his head back to stare at the sky. It was clear and blue, with only a few clouds to be seen. Taking a deep breath, he let it out slowly, trying to understand how something so vast could possibly have any sort of relation to him.

"I always thought high school would be the time when everything would change for me," He murmured. "Instead, I feel like nothing's different. I've been miserable nearly every day. I keep thinking, '_After everything we've done, how can life be so dull?_'"

"Obviously." Reborn agreed flatly as he lifted his gaze upwards as well. "After everything you've experienced, how could your perception not have changed?"

"I don't want to be No-Good Tsuna anymore."

Pulling his gaze away from the sky, Reborn turned to find Tsuna with his head hanging and his hands clenched tightly into fists.

"I just don't think I could live with myself. I don't want to be useless anymore." Lifting his head back up, Tsuna turned to face Reborn. The tutor could see the conflict raging violently behind the teen's eyes. "Do you really think I could be a mafia boss, Reborn? Is it even possible that I could be more than 'Baka-Tsuna' and 'No-Good Tsuna'?"

"My job is to train you, not baby you. I can't answer that for you." For a moment, Tsuna simply stared at him with an expression that was impossible to pick apart, before nodding slowly.

"I have to make some calls," He muttered quietly as he opened the gate to his house and approached the front door. As he entered the house, Reborn couldn't suppress a small smile as he pulled the brim of his fedora over his face.

"He's grown, hasn't he, Leon?" The chameleon wiggled happily from where he sat, making his agreement abundantly clear.


	2. Conversations

Though this wasn't his first time meeting the Ninth, Tsuna was no less awed by everything the old man had at his disposal. First, it had been the dozens of men that had been sent to pick him up, then the large limousine, and now – a private jet. Seeing the extravagant aircraft had nearly been the point where Tsuna simply turned around and left. Honestly, he hadn't even left Japan yet and he already felt way in over his head.

Clearly, his companions didn't find the extravagance nearly as intimidating. Watching his three core guardians board the plane ahead of him with barely contained excitement, Tsuna couldn't help but smile a bit. Still, he could feel his stomach clenching involuntarily as he reconsidered his decision for the hundredth time that morning. He didn't just have butterflies in his stomach – it was more like an angry swarm of wasps.

"Are you thinking of turning back, Tsuna?" Reborn asked, hopping out of the limo beside him. He was careful to use a neutral tone of voice, so Tsuna wouldn't be swayed by his opinions. He wanted the boy to make this particular decision for himself.

Sure enough, Tsuna was unable to determine whether Reborn was disapproving or not. It was simply a question that happened to leave the option of running away wide open. Tsuna swallowed heavily, thinking back to the day before. He hadn't been kidding when he said there were calls to be made. He had spent the entire day on the phone, calling one person after another, storing away each opinion as if they were precious jewels. Interestingly, the first number he had dialed belonged to his father.

It had been clear that the man was surprised to be hearing from his son, though he refrained from allowing his emotions to corrupt his advice.

"_So, you're actually considering accepting the Ninth's offer."_ The man said. _"I honestly didn't expect that of you…but I'm glad to hear it."_

"_Well, I haven't officially accepted it yet, or even made a decision…" _Tsuna had been quick to interrupt, although his words were halfhearted.

"_So, you want me to help you decide?"_

"_I was hoping, maybe, since you've been part of the mafia for so long, that you could tell me what I should do."_

"_I can't do that."_

"_Aren't you the external advisor, or whatever? Isn't that your job?"_

"_Giving advice isn't the same thing as making the decision for you."_

"_Then go ahead and advise me!" _At this point, frustration and anger had made Tsuna's voice start quivering. _"Do you think I'm right for this?" _

His father had been silent for a moment, before sighing heavily.

"_Tsuna, you're my son. The last thing I want is to see you in a position of danger. But my job is to give advice, like you said, impartially. So, if I were to answer your question from a completely unbiased point of view…yes, Tsuna. I believe you're the man for the job. Just a year ago, I wouldn't have been saying this, but you've grown considerably since then, in many more ways than one." _There was a significant pause as Tsuna waited quietly, holding his breath. _"I'm proud of you, son."_

The air rushed out of his lungs as his heart gave a curious tug. He never would have imagined that five words from his no good father would have had such an impact on him.

"_O-okay…" _He had responded awkwardly, preparing to hang up. Before he did so, though, he decided to try and end things on a positive note. _"Um, Dad?" _

"_Hm?"_

"…_T-thanks."_ The man simply hummed softly in response.

"_Let me know when you reach a decision."_ He had said before hanging up, leaving Tsuna to chew on his lip thoughtfully in silence.

It was unbearable. Though there were still several hours before school would let out, he had a hunch one of his friends wouldn't have felt the need to stay. He dialed the next number without hesitating.

"_Tenth!" _The bomber's jubilant voice greeted him before the phone had even rung twice. _"Is something wrong?" _

Considering Tsuna rarely called the young man, he couldn't blame Gokudera for immediately assuming so.

"_No, Gokudera, I'm fine. I just wanted to ask a quick question."_

"_Anything!" _It took Tsuna a few seconds to figure out how to phrase it properly.

"_Why…why do you have so much faith in me, as the…Tenth?" _Just saying the title out loud felt odd and unnatural to him, as though it were a word that didn't yet belong to him.

"_Why…?" _Tsuna could tell he had taken the other boy off guard. _"That's…well…where do I start…?" _

It was unsurprising that Gokudera was struggling, not because he didn't know how to answer the question, but because he had too many answers. Despite that, Tsuna still felt amazed to know that someone could view him so highly.

"_The Tenth is incredible! You're strong, and you fight well, and you know exactly what to do when things are bad. Those are all very good qualities for a leader, but…let's see, why I have faith in the Tenth…" _Tsuna suppressed a snicker. In his head, he could see Gokudera trying to count off reasons on his fingers. _"I guess it's because…well, because you care, Tenth."_

"…_Because I…care?"_ Tsuna had repeated, blinking in confusion. That was one response that he hadn't expected to come from the gruff young man.

"_Yes! Many leaders don't care for their subordinates, and they don't care about who might get hurt. But you worry about everyone you meet, even people that don't properly respect you." _Gokudera's voice had begun to take on a notably different tone at that point, which Tsuna eventually determined to be embarrassment. _"You, ah…you changed my life. I'm able to live for the right reasons now, and…I-I honestly don't think I would even still be alive today if it weren't for you, Tenth." _

Tsuna's jaw had practically fallen open, and he struggled to find the words to express himself. His first instinct had been to vehemently deny every word the bomber spouted, but he ended up forcing himself to remain silent. His silence dragged on for longer than he intended it to.

"_T-tenth?"_ Slowly closing his jaw, Tsuna simply closed his eyes and smiled softly.

"_Thank you, Gokudera." _

"_O-of course, Tenth!" _Though he had only made two calls at that point, Tsuna had begun to feel the reality of his current situation. The mafia was not a game, and he had a very serious decision to make. So he dedicated the rest of the day to discussing the matter with his friends and family, both directly and indirectly, and each member had something important to say in his eyes.

"_There's a summer program I've found," _He had told his mother, making up a story on the fly. _"If I decide to join it, I'll be spending the break overseas. It might create a good job opportunity for me, too." _

"_Well, that sounds wonderful, Tsu-kun!" _

"_It's a lot of responsibility, though, and I'm not sure I'm right for that sort of thing…"_

"_Well, you won't know if you don't try! If you think it would make you happy, just go for it!" _Though she didn't know the entire story, he still found her words calming. If he so much as mentioned the danger involved, she would have never allowed it, but it was clear that she supported him regardless of his "No-Good" nature. It turned out to be a theme that spanned across all of his friends.

"_Whatever you do, I'll tag along. I don't feel like I ever have to worry when you're around. You're a lot of fun, Tsuna!" _Yamamoto had replied lightheartedly when Tsuna asked whether or not he would follow someone like him, while Ryohei had yelled something along the lines of _"EVERYTHING SAWADA DOES IS EXTREME!"_

"_Tsuna-san must become a mafia boss, because Haru is going to be a mafia boss's wife!"_ was Haru's enthusiastic reply to his worries, while Kyoko displayed a gentle sort of concern.

"_Just be careful, whatever you do. And make sure my brother stays out of trouble, alright?"_ The two girls' loving gazes had been enough to melt Tsuna's heart, and he had practically collapsed on the spot. Every single person he spoke to had given nothing less than their full support.

With each conversation he had, Tsuna realized again and again that he had surrounded himself with people that cared about him. As each conversation ended, his resolve strengthened just a little bit more. By the end of the evening, Tsuna found himself contacting the Ninth without so much as a tremor in his fingers. These people were his family, he told the Ninth resolutely, and he wanted to live up to the person that they believed in. He wanted to be strong enough to protect them, and remain their friend, through whatever trials they might face.

"_I'm not making any promises yet," _He had said resolutely. _"I'm just going to see, like you said. I want to see what the rest of the Vongola family looks like." _

"_I wouldn't have it any other way, Tsunayoshi-kun." _The old man had replied cheerfully. _"You'll be picked up tomorrow morning."_

"Well, Tsuna? Your friends are waiting." Reborn's impatient voice pulled Tsuna out of his daze. Looking up, Tsuna found his three friends standing by the steps of the plane, patiently waiting for him to join them. "Are you changing your mind?"

Tsuna smiled tensely, although his expression was growing more relaxed by the minute. Having reviewed the conversations from the previous day and seeing his friends in front of him now, Tsuna was only able to shake his head in response.

"No. I'm going." He answered Reborn with a grin as he walked briskly towards his friends. This was a decision he had made for himself, hopefully the first of many, and he intended to stick to it. "Let's see what Italy has in store for me."

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><p><strong>AN: **Thank you for the kind reviews so far! I really hope to continue this story for a good amount of time, and there is no better inspiration than a bit of feedback! Since I'm juggling this with college courses, it's going to be a bit tricky to upload regularly, but I'll be trying to do so at least once a week. This chapter was a bit shorter, but I felt the need to delve just a little bit deeper into Tsuna's decision. I'm hoping things will begin to pick up in the next chapter, where they'll actually be in Italy. I hope you'll stick around to see what's in store for them there! Thank you for reading!


	3. Arrival

"We're nearly there." Tsuna's head practically touched the roof of the jet's cabin, startled by the voice right beside him, which was now chuckling at his reaction. Turning, he found Ganauche standing beside his seat, bending over so that they could speak at eye level.

"I didn't mean to scare you." He apologized between his poorly hidden snickers. "You caught some hang time there."

"A-ah…" Tsuna rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, his cheeks heating up in embarrassment. Halfway through the trip, he had opted to move to a seat separate from his three friends in an attempt to get some sleep. All he had succeeded in doing was staring out the window as his mind ran in circles, leaving him no less tired than he had started out, which in turn left him much easier to startle. "Sorry. I was just thinking, I guess."

"Well, I would certainly hope so." The Ninth's lightning guardian replied casually as he leaned against the back of Tsuna's seat. He and Coyote had been assigned to escort the four of them, which Tsuna was thankful for. Out of all the ninth generation guardians, from what little he had seen of them, he found Ganauche to be the most approachable and amiable. "You have a lot to think about."

"Ah…" The boy sighed heavily, sinking low into the seat, which was far too soft and wide to be considered a typical airplane seat. It must have been what sitting in first class felt like – if not even more luxurious. "I can't help but wonder if I've gotten in over my head."

"I would've assumed you had already considered that long before now." The man's eyebrows lifted in surprise. Tsuna couldn't help but laugh a little at the truth of his statement.

"Every single day," His tired response gained him a sympathetic look. "But this is the first time I've actually considered the option seriously."

"Well…" Ganauche tapped his chin, looking upwards thoughtfully. "It's not going to be easy. I'll be frank and tell you that up front right now. But it can also be a lot of fun!"

"What sort of nonsense are you spouting now?" A new voice joined in. The growling tone made Tsuna jump again and he grit his teeth in an attempt to hide his jumpiness. This time, even Ganauche flinched, and they both turned to find the Ninth's intimidating storm guardian.

"O-oh! Um…" Tsuna flinched as the elderly man's harsh gaze shifted onto him. He really looked rather intimidating. His face had gained a few new scars since Tsuna had seen him last, and he was almost certain he knew the reason behind it. "Eh…I-it was, um…"

"Hm?" The man lifted an eyebrow, making Tsuna swallow nervously.

"I mean, um, your name…it was C-Coyote, right?"

"That is correct, Tenth." At this point, he looked as though he were growing impatient with Tsuna's nervous stutters, which honestly didn't help the boy's nerves.

"I'm, um…" Tsuna scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, trying to figure out how to phrase his words correctly. _Oh, you're not dead? That's great!_ That probably wasn't the best option, no. "I'm glad you're okay."

Ganauche had begun to snicker again, holding his hand up to cover his mouth as Coyote's eyebrow lifted even higher.

"Last I had heard, I mean, at the inheritance ceremony – I only heard that Enma and his family had discovered you following them. I didn't really know if you had, um…" Taking a deep breath, Tsuna let it out slowly, trying to calm himself down enough to utter a coherent thought. "I'm sorry for the trouble that caused you. I'm grateful that the consequences weren't worse."

At that point, both of Coyote's eyebrows had lifted into his hairline. Ganauche had stopped laughing, and was simply smiling warmly at the young, flustered boy.

"…Thank you, Tsunayoshi." Coyote finally said, clearly surprised by Tsuna's words.

"Well, would you look at that," A female voice broke into the conversation. "Timoteo's heir is a little sweetheart."

A woman was standing in the doorway that led to the jet's cockpit. She looked to be only slightly younger than Coyote, with short graying hair that had been styled neatly under the bulky aviation headset she had on. That, along with the crisp navy uniform she wore, made her look both professional and utterly intimidating. Though she was smiling, Tsuna was frozen in place as soon as he locked eyes with the woman. They were a smoky shade of blue, nothing particularly unusual, but her gaze possessed such an air of intensity that he felt a shiver go down his spine.

"Tsunayoshi, this is Lyric Fondante. She's a member of the Ninth's inner circle who just happens to specialize in aircraft." Coyote took the chance to formally introduce the two, either unaware of the fact that Tsuna was practically cowering in his seat, or choosing to ignore it. "In my opinion, flying planes is all she's good for."

The woman adopted an unamused expression, lifting an eyebrow challengingly at the old storm guardian.

"Is someone still sore over the fact that I beat him on the shooting range yesterday?" She teased, gaining an irritated grumble from him. Tsuna's eye twitched slightly. Perhaps it was his hyper intuition kicking in, but it didn't take a genius to pick up on the energy that had suddenly become so potent – he honestly didn't feel comfortable watching two elderly Mafiosi flirt passive aggressively.

It was bad enough having to deal with that in high school, but this was just plain weird. His uncomfortable squirming caught Lyric's eye, and she shot him a slightly apologetic smirk.

"Anyways, I was just popping out to let you know we're due to land in just a few minutes, so get yourselves seated and buckled in." She chuckled, cutting her conversation with Coyote short.

"Couldn't you have used the intercom for that?" Ganauche asked as he maneuvered himself into a seat, Coyote following suit.

"Wanted an excuse to see our little heir's cute face," She shrugged, shooting Tsuna a wink. She laughed as the boy's face turned a pale shade of pink. "Why don't you pass the message on to your boys in the back? They've been getting pretty rowdy."

He nodded, getting up quickly. As she returned to the cockpit, he pushed through the curtain that led to the common seating area. Sure enough, the three boys were as loud and rambunctious as Tsuna would have expected. Reborn was, predictably, nowhere to be found.

"Tenth!" Gokudera exclaimed as soon as he saw Tsuna emerge, despite the fact that he seemed preoccupied with Ryohei.

"Oh, Shawahda!" The boxer yelled as well. Tsuna blinked, taking in the sight before him. Ryohei seemed to be trying to mess with Gokudera's hair, while the other struggled to keep him at bay by smashing his hands against his face. Currently, the boxer's cheeks were being stretched out, butchering the pronunciation of his words.

"Yo, Tsuna!" Yamamoto greeted brightly from where he sat, laughing at the spectacle.

"Uh…" Tsuna stared at them blankly for another moment, before taking the seat beside Yamamoto. "W-we're landing soon. The pilot says to put your seatbelts on."

"It's about time!" Gokudera growled, shoving Ryohei away again by planting is palm against the boxer's nose, making the other grunt with a small snort. As the jet began to descend, Yamamoto happily explained that he and Ryohei had discovered Gokudera's particular hatred of puns.

In the short amount of time it took for the jet's wheels to touch the ground, Gokudera had gained Tsuna's sympathy, as the boys seemed to have an endless supply of boxing and baseball themed puns stored away. It was almost as if they had been storing them away for an occasion such as this, which Tsuna was beginning to strongly suspect might be true. How in the world could someone have so many sports puns?

As they exited the plane single file, Gokudera had been reduced to little more than an agitated, grumbling mess. Tsuna laughed awkwardly, doing his best to calm him down. He could tell the bomber was feeling particularly tense, as the boy was keeping a maximum distance of just a couple inches between the two of them at all times. He was practically clinging onto Tsuna, which would have been endearing if he wasn't spewing a long string of cuss words while clutching a stick of dynamite, threatening to blow the jet to pieces. As they passed the cockpit on the way to the exit, Lyric caught part of his mutterings.

"Kid, if you put so much as a scratch on this plane…" Her eyes narrowed, leaving the rest of the threat unspoken. Gokudera immediately bristled, and Yamamoto placed a hand heavily on his shoulder before the angry boy could open his mouth and spout something undoubtedly insulting.

"Come on, let's go see what it looks like out there!" The baseball player suggested happily, firmly steering the bomber out the door. Tsuna let out a small breath of relief, silently grateful he had Yamamoto to help keep Gokudera in check. The boy, suitably enough, was like a bomb, ready to go off at the smallest provocation.

As they climbed down the steps from the jet directly onto the landing strip, Tsuna squinted against the bright sun. It looked to be about late afternoon – the air was pleasantly warm, a small breeze just barely rustling the grass growing off to either side of the runway. Staring directly ahead, though, Tsuna could only gape. Directly before them, a massive mansion sat regally, the intricate architecture spanning outwards as far as the eye could see.

"This is _EXTREME!_" Ryohei exclaimed in excitement, being the first to break the silence while the other boys remained speechless.

"Is that the airport?" Yamamoto asked, clueless.

"No," Lyric chuckled. "It's Vongola Headquarters."

"This is where you four will be staying for the duration of your visit," Coyote elaborated, causing their eyes to widen. Ignoring their reactions, Coyote began making his way towards the mansion, beckoning for them to follow. "Come. The Ninth is waiting for you inside."

"Just a moment," Lyric interrupted, holding Tsuna back with a light touch to his shoulder. "There's someone that would like to meet you before you leave, Tsunayoshi."

"Is this really the time?"

"It'll only take a minute, you impatient old coot." Meeting Coyote's disapproving gaze, she rolled her eyes. Tsuna blinked a few times in confusion as she turned him back towards the jet. A young woman he had not seen earlier now stood by the exit, her hands folded politely as she waited patiently. She had long red hair tied back into a neat bun, and wore a similar uniform to Lyric. "This is Fiammetta, one of my trainees and my co-pilot on this particular trip."

"It's, um, nice to meet you?" He greeted hesitantly.

His confusion only grew as she ignored his extended hand, simply sinking down to one knee before him. She kept her head bowed as she placed a loosely clenched fist over her heart.

"It's an honor to meet you, Vongola the Tenth." She declared loudly. Tsuna was speechless. He was still beyond perplexed, but seeing her kneeling before him felt far too uncomfortable.

"Y-you don't have to do that! You can stand. Um, p-please," He told her frantically. Lifting her face to look at him, she got to her feet hesitantly.

"I'm overjoyed to have you visiting us. I hope the trip wasn't too uncomfortable." She said, looking nervous.

"Not at all," Tsuna replied with genuine surprise. How could he have been uncomfortable on a plane like that? He grinned, laughing a bit at how ridiculous her question sounded. "It was great!"

She looked surprised for a moment, before a warm smile spread over her face.

"I'm glad to hear that, Vongola Tenth. I sincerely hope you enjoy the rest of your stay here." Her Japanese was oddly formal, with a slight hint of an accent. It was clearly her second language, even though he had no trouble understanding her.

"Th-thank you." He replied, flustered by how genuine she sounded, before turning back around. Lyric had taken him by the shoulders again, steering him away as Coyote continued to glare daggers in their direction. She leaned down to speak into his ear as she guided him back towards the mansion.

"You'd better get used to this now." She murmured with an amused smile. "She specifically requested to accompany me on this flight, so that she could have the chance to meet you in person."

"Me?" Tsuna repeated, shocked. "Why?"

"You're the Ninth's heir. You've already earned the title of 'Tenth', whether you want it or not. Even the mafia isn't free of gossip, Tsunayoshi – word has spread about you and your abilities. She's not going to be the only one treating you like a king here. Consider that my bit of friendly advice for the day."

"Are you done?" Coyote growled as they approached the group, Tsuna stuttering incomprehensibly. The stern man shot him a curious glance, but didn't comment.

"Yes, yes, the kids are all yours. Give the Ninth my regards." Lyric responded casually, pushing Tsuna towards them. "I'll see you around."

She waved over her shoulder as she turned to leave, walking back towards the plane. Ganauche chuckled as Coyote grumbled under his breath, ordering them to follow him once again.

"Are you okay, Tsuna?" Yamamoto asked with a worried tone as they entered the mansion, able to clearly see that he was out of sorts. Blinking hard as his eyes adjusted to the new lighting, Tsuna pulled himself out of his shock and tried to give the baseball player a reassuring smile.

"A-ah, I'm fine." He could tell the boy wasn't buying it. "I'm just a little overwhelmed, that's all."

"It is pretty big!" Yamamoto agreed with a laugh, completely missing the point as usual, but he was able to make Tsuna smile and relax just a bit more. Coyote and Ganauche led them down to the very end of a long corridor, which in turn led to a pair of large oaken double doors. Knocking sharply, Coyote waited for an invitation from within before opening the doors.

"Tsunayoshi and his guardians have just arrived." He announced as he entered.

"Send them in."

Stepping aside, Coyote motioned for them to enter. As the four of them stepped into the Ninth's large office, their escorts hovered in the doorway. The Ninth sat behind a large desk in the middle of the room, setting aside a pile of paperwork.

"Thank you, Coyote, Ganauche. You may leave us for now." He told them with a smile. Bowing their heads in respect, the two men backed out of the room, closing the doors behind them.

"So," The Ninth said as he put his pen away. He turned to face them with a warm smile, folding his hands in front of him as he leaned forward. "Welcome to Italy. How was your trip?"

Tsuna was surprised to find the other three remaining completely silent. Glancing around, he realized they were all standing rigidly, their faces betraying how nervous they must have been feeling. Somehow, knowing he wasn't the only one that felt intimidated by all of the formality made Tsuna feel slightly more at ease.

"I-it was very comfortable." He replied on their behalf.

"That's good to hear." The Ninth said with a grandfatherly smile. "I imagine you're tired. I've arranged for a room to be prepared for each of you, and I made sure to clear your schedule for the rest of the day so that you can rest if you need it. I've asked your guides to hold off on visiting until tomorrow."

"Guides?" Tsuna asked.

"Yes. I would like for you to begin familiarizing yourselves with the surrounding area as soon as possible, so I've arranged for each of you to have a designated guide that will show you the relevant parts of the city. Gokudera," He said, turning to the bomber.

"Y-yes!" The boy stiffened, causing the Ninth to smile in amusement.

"You're already somewhat familiar with the area, correct?"

"I knew it well before leaving for Japan," He affirmed.

"Wonderful. I imagine some things will have changed, though, so I've arranged for your sister to be your guide – she'll get you up to date."

"U-understood!" Gokudera made a small choking noise as soon as he heard the word 'sister', but nodded agreeably, clearly not wanting to disrespect the current boss.

"Perfect. Then, Sasagawa Ryohei," The Ninth turned to the boxer next. "I understand you're familiar with a former COMSUBIN member known as Colonello?"

"Oh!" He exclaimed excitedly. "He's an extreme trainer!"

"Good," The Ninth said with a smile. "He's agreed to be your guide for at least one day. And Yamamoto Takeshi," He turned to face the swordsman as Ryohei cheered loudly.

"You'll be with me." A familiar voice interrupted as Reborn appeared from out of nowhere, as he was known to do.

"Yo!" Yamamoto greeted him with a happy laugh, hardly fazed. "I'm looking forward to it!"

"And finally, Tsunayoshi-kun," Tsuna tore his attention from his friends' various reactions to face the Ninth. "I've arranged for you to have a local guide, a lower member of the Vongola family that is fluent in Japanese and will function as your translator. I would like for you to begin meeting other members of the family as quickly as possible. The sooner the better, don't you think?"

"Eh…" Honestly, Tsuna was petrified of the idea. He was envisioning spending the day being led around by a violent, burly Mafioso, and he was less than thrilled by the idea. Despite that, he didn't want to disappoint the Ninth, who was looking at him with an expression of pure joy. "Yes. I-I think that would be good."

"Wonderful! I'll have someone show you to your rooms, then, and I'll begin making preparations for your day out tomorrow. I look forward to hearing what you think, and I hope you enjoy your time here."

"I'm looking forward to it as well." Tsuna replied, mirroring the man's smile. Perhaps it was simply the Ninth's mood rubbing off on him, or maybe it was the nerves finally settling down, but Tsuna was surprised to find that he genuinely meant what he said. He was excited to see what Italy had to show him, and the thought made him almost giddy. He certainly wasn't regretting his decision yet, and though they had only just arrived, he felt encouraged by that small fact.

Maybe, just maybe, this wouldn't be so bad.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **And we're in Italy! I decided to try playing around a bit with the ninth generation guardians. I was disappointed that we didn't get to see more of them, but I liked the concept as well as their character designs. Since I don't have very much to work with, I'm taking some liberties with their personalities and relationships. I hope I did a decent job - I had fun with them, so hopefully I'll have the chance to bring them back and even work with the other guardians, but we'll see.

Again, thank you for reading and taking the time to leave such kind reviews! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	4. A Day In Town

A soft knock roused Tsuna out of his light sleep. He pushed himself up with a small groan, rubbing his eyes in an attempt to wake himself up. The room he had been assigned was one of the most luxurious in the entire building, a fact that had hardly surprised him. His bed was large and wide, with heavy blankets made of soft cloth and nearly a dozen perfectly fluffed pillows of several shapes and sizes. It looked comfortable, and it had been…for about the first ten minutes. Compared to the simple bedding of his room back in Japan, this bed felt like an inescapable sea of cotton and foam, his body sinking straight down whenever he attempted to shift his weight. The result was a long night of throwing extra pillows about the room, kicking heavy blankets off to the side, and desperately trying not to suffocate in his sleep.

"Come in," He called out to whoever had knocked, trying to look presentable as the door swung open gently. A man stepped in quietly, allowing the door to click shut behind him as he bowed his head respectfully.

"Pardon the intrusion, young master," He said quickly, his back and shoulders stiffer than a plank of wood. "The Ninth asked for you to be awoken. Your guide has arrived."

"Oh," Tsuna blinked, his hands dropping from his face. He hadn't been expecting to get started right after waking up. "Thank you." The man nodded curtly. Tsuna could see his eyes roaming over the state of his bed, clearly wondering about the mess of pillows littering the ground around him.

"Would you like my assistance in getting dressed?" He asked suddenly, making Tsuna's jaw drop.

"Um, no, that's…I-I'm fine!" The boy responded quickly, waving his hands frantically. Again, the man simply nodded, though he seemed to be suppressing an amused smile.

"I'll leave you to it then. You'll find your closet has a few outfits for you to choose from already. You will be supplied with much more once the tailor has had a chance to get your measurements."

"I brought my own clothes along, though…" Tsuna trailed off as he gestured toward his suitcase…which was no longer there. "Eh?"

"The Ninth insists." The reply was short and clipped, making it clear that this wasn't something he could discuss. "I'll wait just outside the door and show you to the foyer when you're done."

As quietly as he had come in, the man stepped back out, not once raising his head. Tsuna sat still for a moment, letting the conversation roll over in his head, before getting out of bed. It was a bit disconcerting that they had seemingly confiscated his belongings, but he was certain the Ninth meant well. He would ask about it later.

As the butler had said, his closet already contained several outfits, all of which were formal. Crisp button down shirts lay perfectly folded to one side, while several well ironed suits hung on the other. His eyebrows rose as he peeked behind the door and found a dozen ties looped around hooks, already tied into wide nooses. He couldn't decide whether he should feel flattered that someone had gone to the trouble, or offended that they didn't think he could tie his own tie. Shaking his head, he walked over to the shirts and yanked a baby blue button down from the pile before stripping his shirt off. Luckily, he had decided to simply sleep in the clothes he had worn the previous day out of sheer exhaustion, and he wasn't about to relinquish the only pair of jeans he had left. After buttoning up the shirt, he decided to take another moment to roll the sleeves up before stepping out into the hallway.

"Are you ready, young mas-?" The man nearly choked as he looked over, pulling a sheepish smile out of Tsuna. He had clearly been expecting the full suit ensemble, but he recovered quickly, clearing his throat and gesturing down the hall. "Right this way, young master."

As Tsuna followed him, he began to feel more and more self-conscious about his clothing decision. Did a day out in town really require a suit? He wondered if his friends had already left, and if their clothes had been stolen in the middle of the night as well. Would they all be wearing full formal attire? Perhaps Italy was different from Japan, and he would stick out like a sore thumb. He made a point to remember the way to his room, just in case he ended up regretting his decision to wear jeans.

"Straight ahead," The butler came to a stop and gestured to his right, where the hall opened up into a large and lavish sitting area. The doors of the entrance were wide open, leading to a set of steps. From where he was standing, Tsuna could just barely see the top of a burly man's head, causing him to swallow nervously.

"Thank you, um…" He turned to thank the butler properly, realizing that he didn't know the man's name.

"Arlo, young master," He bowed deeply again, taking the cue to introduce himself.

"You don't need to call me that," Tsuna said quickly, uncomfortable with being called 'Young Master' all the time. "Just Tsuna's fine. I'd prefer that you do, actually."

"Very well," Arlo agreed as he stood, though he seemed hesitant. "I will be waiting here upon your return, young- er, Tsuna…" Tsuna laughed as the man's face practically contorted, turning to leave upon the other's ushering.

As he walked across the foyer and stepped through the doorway, he discovered there were actually two men waiting outside with their backs turned to him. They stood closely to each other, shoulders nearly touching, like sentries guarding a treasure.

"Excuse me…?" Tsuna tried to hide his confusion as they turned to face him. "H-hi, I'm Tsuna…I thought I was just supposed to have one guide today?" They shook their heads, and the smaller man on the right spoke up.

"Pardon us, Tenth. Your guide is just outside the gate. We're not permitted to allow anyone outside of the immediate family within the building." They stepped aside, giving him room to pass by. "Go ahead."

Tsuna ducked past them with a small nod, walking down the steps and towards the gate as quickly as he could without actually running. He could practically feel their gazes drilling into his back. As he passed through the front gate, he came to a stop and looked around blankly. There were only two more men out here, wearing identical black suits, just like the last two. The one closer to him shifted his position upon noticing Tsuna's arrival, and Tsuna realized there was a smaller boy sandwiched in between them.

"Good morning, Tenth," The third guard greeted. That was what Tsuna was deciding to call them. For now, they would all be Guard 1, Guard 2, Guard 3, and so on.

"Good morning," Tsuna replied cautiously, beginning to worry once more that suits were simply the standard of dress in Italy.

"I hope you don't mind us detaining your guide out here, rather than allowing you to meet her inside." All three of them turned to face him, and he quickly realized his mistake in assuming the third figure to be male. The length of her hair had thrown him off, but a glance at her figure was enough to clear up the misunderstanding.

"Tenth," She greeted curtly as she lowered her head, although she didn't bend down any further than that. "_Yoroshiku._"

Tsuna blinked in mild surprise as he returned the sentiment. Compared to the lilting accent of everyone else that had spoken to him so far, her fluency in his native tongue sounded almost alien. Alongside that, her lack of formality was incredibly out of place compared to the way everyone else had been treating him, like a king. As she lifted her face once more to meet his gaze, he made a note of her eyes; they were a dull green, hardly outstanding even when paired with dark hair. While her facial features all looked suitably foreign to him, however, there were hints of Asian descent everywhere – particularly in her eyes.

Stepping back, she gestured for him to follow her as she began walking away from the large estate. It took a few tries for him to fall in step beside her, underestimating the length of her stride every time. She walked with such a sense of purpose that he kept falling behind her automatically, instinctively allowing her to take the lead.

"I'm afraid your original guide grew ill recently. I was asked to take his place. Paolo does his job well – I'll do my best to follow in his footsteps." She explained as they walked. She had a curious way of speaking, keeping her phrases short and clipped. She maintained a low voice, but he had no trouble hearing her, as she enunciated each syllable so clearly she sounded almost robotic. It was as if she was doing everything in her power to save her breath and ensure that she wouldn't have to repeat herself.

"I don't mind," Tsuna said with a faltering smile, unsure of how to respond to her. "Um, I didn't catch your name earlier."

"I didn't give it." Her answer was brusque and uninviting, filling the air with a cold and awkward silence. After a moment, she finally continued, as if she had to dedicate a good deal of thought to her response. "Just…call me Riko."

"Riko?" Tsuna repeated, picturing the kanji in his head. There was no way of knowing which characters her name used, but he had a vague idea. "That's a pretty name." She glanced over her shoulder, giving him a calculating look.

"…I suppose so." She replied cryptically, once again leaving Tsuna at a complete loss for words. Was he supposed to spend the entire day with this? "Have you eaten yet?"

"Eh?" Her sudden question took him completely off guard. She stopped and turned to look at him directly.

"Breakfast," She articulated. "Did you have any?"

His stomach suddenly grumbled at the mere mention of a meal. Taking this as an answer, she nodded and began walking again.

"We'll stay local today, close to the HQ. We have a car at our disposal, but the outskirts of the nearest town are within walking distance. Do you have a preference?"

Tsuna took a moment to glance around them. It was a nice day with near perfect weather, and Italy's scenery was something else altogether. It was hardly even a choice.

"I'd like to walk, if you don't mind…?"

"Not at all," Turning back around, she resumed walking briskly. "In that case, it'll be this way."

Tsuna's stomach growled once more in response, and she doubled their pace.

* * *

><p>By the time they finally reached the town, Tsuna was starving.<p>

Riko had wasted no time in pointing out the nearest building that served food, before ushering him straight inside. He must have been looking bad if the way she sat him straight down at the nearest table served as any indication. They were at a cozy little bakery called the _Dolce La Bambina_, which was small in size but apparently very popular. Once she had ordered, Riko rejoined him at the small table she had managed to snag from a couple that had just been leaving.

"I hope you like eggs," She said, sitting down across from him. "They're famous for their omelets." Tsuna was hit with a sudden pang of homesickness as he thought of his mother's cooking.

"I love omelets." He replied, a touch of melancholy in his voice, though he quickly shrugged the feeling off. It had barely been a day since he had left Japan; there was no reason to miss it yet.

"Good." It was clear that she hadn't missed his depressed tone, but she refrained from commenting on it as she leaned back in her seat. Once again, there was nothing but silence to fill the space between them, and Tsuna found himself fiddling with the prongs of his fork idly. While the lack of conversation made him fidgety and awkward, Riko seemed perfectly at ease with it, her posture relaxed as she casually scanned over the room. Rather than shifting back and forth uncomfortably, he decided to take this chance to examine her a little more closely.

Though she looked tranquil, her body was far from being free of tension. She seemed to reflexively curl her fingers into fists, and her forearms remained firmly locked across her midriff. Despite the thick black cloth of her coat, he could see her shoulders and neck were stiff and rigid. It was as if she was incapable of letting herself loosen up and relax, and Tsuna suddenly found himself wondering just how deeply involved she was with the mafia.

As he began to scrutinize her facial features in an attempt to gain access to whatever she was thinking, he saw her eyes suddenly lock onto something across the room. The transformation in her facial features was brief, morphing back into a reserved expression as quickly as the other had appeared, leaving Tsuna very little time to attempt analyzing what it was that he had just witnessed. She uncrossed her legs and shifted slightly, moving her fingers to the hem of her shorts. She didn't seem to be paying attention to him, so he moved just enough to get a glimpse of her trying to tug the dark denim further down her leg. The pale outer surface of her thigh was adorned with an intricate black tattoo on it, its shape vaguely resembling a flame.

Curious about what had brought on the sudden change in her, he turned around, trying to find whatever she had seen. It took a few sweeps across the bakery, but he suddenly caught sight of a tall man sitting in the back, dark eyes fixated on the two of them. A shiver ran down Tsuna's spine, and he turned back around, only to be met with another intense gaze sitting right across from him. Gulping, he struggled to meet Riko's eyes, which seemed to be searing straight through his skull. It was a short string of incredibly subtle cues, but Tsuna's intuition was telling him that something weird was going on - sinister, even.

"R-Riko?" He asked cautiously. "Is everything alright?" She looked away as soon as he spoke and pushed herself to her feet.

"I'll go check on our food." She said without answering his question in any way. Her footsteps on the way over had been heavy, but the sound had been that of confidence and surefootedness. As she walked over to the counter now, the thick soles of her boots crashed into the floor like mallets against a drum.

Turning around yet again, Tsuna searched for the man he had seen just a moment earlier, but the table he had been occupying was now glaringly empty. A half-finished cup of coffee sat in his place, still steaming, while a newspaper lay askew over the side of the table. The sight set Tsuna on edge, enough to make him jump with a small strangled sound when Riko returned and touched him on the shoulder. She looked back to normal, like she had calmed herself down while she was away, although she gave Tsuna a curious look as he tried to settle his hammering heartbeat.

"The owners would like to meet you." She said hesitantly. "Are you…alright?"

"Y-yes, I'm-" Tsuna flushed in embarrassment, but looked at her in confusion. "Wait, they want to meet me?" She nodded, only serving to further his confusion. "Why?"

"You're the Tenth." She replied, the answer short and succinct like it should have been the most obvious thing in the world.

"Are they part of the mafia?" Tsuna asked, his eyes widening at the prospect. "Like…hitmen? D-do they poison their food too?!" As Bianchi's poison cooking came to mind, his stomach turned over at the thought of eating their 'famous omelets'. While he was panicking, Riko's eyes found the ceiling, clearly displaying her waning patience.

"No. They're a married couple that owns a small business. That's all." She sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "The Vongola is a powerful family. It basically controls these parts. The Mafia and the community function symbiotically; the people provide business. The mafia provides protection and services. Your predecessor has…done a good job. He's maintained peace and welfare. The Vongola Family isn't made up of just hitmen – it's everyone that they take care of as well."

_That's almost exactly what the Ninth said in his letter_, Tsuna mused. It had been a nice idea at the time, but it hadn't begun to sink in as a reality until now.

"Will you come and meet them now?" She asked in an openly impatient tone, rubbing her neck as though talking this much caused her actual discomfort.

"But I don't speak Italian…" Tsuna protested meekly, causing her to roll her eyes.

"What do you think I'm here for?" She snapped, urging him onto his feet. Together, they walked across the floor of the bakery and approached the counter in the back.

"_Scusi,_" She got the couple's attention over the counter, making a quick introduction in Italian. It was impressive how easily she transitioned between the two languages, although Tsuna supposed that was to be expected of an interpreter. "Tenth, Signor and Signora Donati."

"It's nice to meet you," He said meekly, unsure of himself in this situation. Riko relayed his words quickly and confidently, however, giving him a false air of self-assuredness. The couple behind the counter made loud exclamations, beaming at him. With a quick exchange of words, the woman flew into the kitchen excitedly while her husband took Tsuna's hand in both of his own, shaking it firmly as he intoned what could only be kind sentiments.

"He says they've been eager to finally meet you after hearing the rumors that have been circulating," Riko translated quickly, pausing every now and then to listen and try to catch up to his fast-paced verbiage. "It's a, uh, an honor for their humble shop to…um…" She suddenly let out a short laugh, looking simultaneously flustered and amused.

"W-what?" He asked nervously, wondering if he was somehow the cause of her laughter.

"I'm sorry, Tenth, just a moment. He's going too fast for me."

"Oh, okay." At least they weren't making fun of him.

As she cut into the baker's long winded introduction, Tsuna marveled at the expression she was wearing. He hadn't seen her smile even once all morning – in fact her default expression could really only be described as a poker face. Her sudden show of genuine happiness while interacting with this couple had taken him completely off guard.

"Ah, okay," She coughed lightly, composing herself as her cheeks flushed slightly in embarrassment. "It's an honor for their humble shop to be graced with your presence and they hope you enjoy your stay."

As she spoke, the baker's wife emerged once again with several boxes in hand. She began speaking just as quickly as her husband had been, setting the boxes down on the counter and gesticulating wildly.

"They would like to give you food on the house, as a welcoming gift. They've included our order, along with some breads and desserts." Riko translated, peeking over the counter as the woman started pointing to them one by one. She took a moment to glance up at the couple, giving them a grateful smile and a nod while Tsuna gaped at the spread in front of him.

"A-ah, eh…" He scratched his cheek, at a loss for what to say. He was overwhelmed by both their generosity and their near idolization of him. "Th-thank you. That's really…very kind of you two, and I appreciate the sentiment. Everything looks delicious."

He shot Riko a nervous look, wondering if he was saying the right things. He supposed so, because as soon as Riko finished relaying his message, Signora Donati exclaimed loudly in delight. Leaning over the counter, she took his face in her hands and planted a kiss on each of his cheeks, which immediately grew hot while he stammered incomprehensively, the gesture taking him completely off guard. Beside him, Riko was clearly having a hard time hiding her amusement as she watched the exchange.

"Alright, you're free to go now," She said after exchanging a few final words with the couple, stacking the boxes onto the counter. With one last brief thank you, Tsuna hurried out of the store with Riko on his heels for once. Once they were outside, she chuckled slightly and asked, "Was that really so bad?"

"I didn't realize there were people here that…thought so highly of me. I didn't expect anyone here to even know who I was." Tsuna let out an exasperated breath, still trying to let that sink in. Based on what they said, he was practically a hero here. It was like a dream come true, except for the fact that it felt like a nightmare to him.

"Start expecting it. If people had a face to attach to the stories, they would be surrounding you in the streets right now." She found a small bench and set the boxes down, inviting Tsuna to take a seat there.

"I…kind of knew that, I guess." Tsuna murmured, thinking back to his treatment in the headquarters. He was suddenly very glad that he had chosen to forgo the suit, as the casual attire seemed less likely to be attached to a title as grandiose as "Vongola Decimo". The only person that hadn't actively treated him like royalty so far was Riko, though he wouldn't exactly say he preferred her company. Still, it was somehow easier to relax around her than it had been around any of the staff back at HQ. He had to wonder what made the difference.

"So if you knew the rumors, why didn't you react like them?" He voiced his thoughts as he sat down, regretting them almost instantly. She gave him what he thought was an offended look, although it was hard to tell since she had regained her nigh-emotionless expression.

"…I don't put much stock in rumors." She finally said. "I only trust what I know."

"Do I measure up to the grand tales, then? From an objective point of view, I mean." He was kidding, partly, but also a bit curious. She shot him a sideways glance, almost looking as if she was sizing him up.

"We'll see." She finally said. "Eat up. There's a lot more that I'm supposed to show you."

Reminded of his still empty stomach, Tsuna didn't have to be told twice.

* * *

><p>By the time they finally returned to the HQ, the sun was setting and Tsuna's legs were practically quaking with fatigue. They had spent the entire day walking, visiting one shop after another with each one bearing some form of gift that he couldn't find a way to politely refuse. Though he had ultimately enjoyed the tour, it became difficult to carry on as the gifts continued to pile up. They had to call on a chauffeur eventually, both unable to walk with their arms full of presents, and they ended up having to drive back.<p>

He let out a weary sigh as the car rolled through the front gate and up the main driveway, looping around to stop directly in front of the building's entrance.

"I'm…sorry about all this." Riko apologized stiffly as they got out, staring in amazement at its nearly overflowing state.

"That's okay," Tsuna laughed, trying to reassure her despite the fact that he was just as horrified by the turnout. He was about to thank her, but was cut off by a boisterous call.

"Tenth!" Turning around, he found Gokudera grinning at him from the entrance, like a dog waiting for its owner's return. The bomber was quickly joined by Yamamoto and Ryohei, along with Bianchi, Reborn, and Colonello.

"Oh," Tsuna jogged up the steps quickly to greet them. "I'm sorry, guys, did I keep you all waiting?"

"We all just got back recently too," Yamamoto said brightly, chipper as ever. "We thought we'd welcome you back since we didn't get the chance to see you this morning."

"My sister dragged me out before you had even woken up," Gokudera growled, shooting the young woman a venomous glare. She responded with a serene smile, unbothered.

"We'll be having dinner soon." She told Tsuna in a pleasant tone.

"Oh! Um, hang on just a second!" Dashing back down the steps, he ran back to where Riko was attempting to help the driver unload the gifts. "Riko!" He called out, getting her attention.

"What is it?" She set one hand on the roof of the car, pulling her head back out to look at him.

"It looks like the other guides are all staying for dinner. Um, would you like to join us?" He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "I'm actually not sure if it's even my place to invite you, but I thought it would be a nice way to thank you for showing me around today."

Straightening up, she glanced over the hood of the car to look at his friends. The muscles around her eyes tightened as she took in the typical scene, watching as Gokudera and Ryohei yelled at each other while Yamamoto laughed at the argument. There was a subtle undertone of shock hidden in her expression, and she turned away quickly, keeping her eyes on the ground.

"Thank you, but I should really be going. I'll be here to meet you in the morning." She spoke quickly, suddenly in a hurry to leave.

"Ah, well, okay." Tsuna shifted his weight from one foot to the other, wondering if his friends' rambunctious behavior was actually scaring her off. "Um…thank you. For today. It was fun."

She paused for a moment, before bowing her head again, like she had that morning.

"It was my pleasure, Vongola Tenth." As she straightened, he couldn't tell if the shadow of a smile he saw was real, or a trick of the light. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Y-yeah! See you tomorrow!" As she walked off, Tsuna pushed out a breath through pursed lips before turning around to rejoin his friends.

"Everything okay?" Yamamoto asked as he walked back up the steps.

"Ah," Tsuna replied with a nod. "I just thought I'd ask my guide if she wanted to join us, but she had to leave."

"Your guide," Bianchi repeated, fixing him with a curious look, hidden behind the tinted plastic of her goggles. "What's her name?"

"Eh?" Tsuna tilted his head in confusion. "Riko. Why?"

The woman stared after Riko's retreating form for a minute, her brow furrowed.

"Aneki?" Gokudera asked, now curious as well. He knew when Bianchi's behavior was strange, and he knew that it usually had a cause behind it. She hummed thoughtfully for a moment, before shaking her head and turning back to them.

"It's nothing. She just reminded me of someone." Stretching her arms out to encompass all of them, she began to usher them back in. "Let's hurry up and get to the dining hall. I helped cook, and I don't want to let the food get cold before you all have a chance to try it."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Hi everyone! I'm sorry for the late update and my brief hiatus - my laptop finally decided to die out on me, and it took quite a bit of time to realize that I needed to buy a new one rather than try to fix the old, and then I had to wait for the new one to ship and I had to transfer all my old data onto the new one, and it was just a mess. Thankfully, I'm finally settled back into a regular routine, and more than ready to start writing up a storm again! As always, thank you for reading and leaving kind reviews, and I hope you enjoy!


	5. Questions Raised

"Sorry to keep you waiting!" Tsuna apologized as he dashed into the foyer. Riko was standing stiffly in between two large guards, her jaw set like a fist ready to jab.

"It's nothing." She said, waving his apology aside despite the clear message her body language was setting. The girl despised being trapped between two suited men every morning. "Let's just get going."

"I'm right behind you," He nodded politely at the guards as they greeted him, opening up the front doors.

Once they passed through the front gate, Tsuna loosened the knot of his tie and handed it over to Riko, who began to carefully roll it up as he took off his coat. Over the past month, he had begun adjusting to life in Italy surprisingly well. He grew closer to the various help, learning their names slowly while also convincing them to refer to him by his name. Many of them still refused to call him anything less formal than "Tenth", but it was a vast improvement from "Young Master" in his eyes. He grew familiar enough with the labyrinthine expanse of halls and corridors to be able to find the kitchen and foyer on his own, which were the only places he really needed access to.

On the other hand, as Tsuna's personal servant, Arlo had begun to grow bolder in their daily interactions. While Tsuna appreciated the ability to converse freely with the man, he was less fond of Arlo's insistence upon wearing formal clothing. It had gotten to the point where Tsuna would wake to find him hovering over the bed with clothes hanging over his arm, simply waiting for the chance to force the heir into his suit. Eventually, Tsuna gave in and agreed to wear them, more than a little put off by the thought of someone else dressing him. Having shared his woes with Riko, she agreed to help him lose the attire during their time out. They developed a ritual where she would bring a fresh set of casual clothes for him to change into while the suit remained hidden in the trunk of a car or behind a bush. She never told a soul, and she never chastised him.

After spending nearly every day with her for a whole month, Tsuna felt he had actually grown somewhat close to her. Her personality was still a difficult force to be reckoned with, but he began to gradually realize that this was only one facet of her character. Ninety percent of the time, she was brusque and unreadable, almost aggressive in her passivity and neutrality. There were points during the day, though, when she was talking to a friendly shopkeeper or watching an old couple, that he could see her soften up and show a glimmer of kindness.

This perplexed him for days. He was completely unable to understand what it was that made her tick – until it dawned on him that she was wearing a mask. While her cold attitude and harsh comments could make it difficult to believe at times, he had grown certain that she was an entirely different person on the inside. Over time, he even grew to like her more than he feared her. She could actually be quite conscientious, often going out of her way to assist him whenever he truly needed it. She was just the kind of person that wouldn't take someone's nonsense – if he was whining, she didn't hesitate to either chastise him or simply leave him behind. She was similar to Reborn in this way, finding a way to facilitate his growth without explicitly doting on him.

"There are people waiting on us today. If you don't hurry and get your damn pants on, I swear I will leave you here in your boxers."

"Wah, w-wait!" Tsuna exclaimed from where he was hiding behind the car. Riko always grew exasperated when he demanded that she give him privacy to change, muttering comments about him being too juvenile. She tossed his jeans over the hood without warning, and he yelped once more as they smacked him in the face.

"It's rude to keep your friend waiting." She scolded as he rushed to pull on the rest of his clothes. Since Colonello hadn't been able to stay the entirety of their vacation, Ryohei had been getting passed around between guides, few of which were able to keep up with his lively personality. In the end, they had decided he would tag along with either Yamamoto or Tsuna during their daily tours of the city.

It seemed Bianchi was doing something different with Gokudera, since he already knew the area. While the bomber stalwartly refused to elaborate on it, Tsuna was able to gather bits and pieces from his agitated grumblings, involving words like "training", "poison cooking", and "endurance". It was easy to put a picture together based off of that, especially with the boy often looking queasy if not passed out on the ground. Tsuna felt bad for him, but the silver haired bomber seemed determined to pass this test of willpower.

"I'm ready, I'm ready!" Tsuna stumbled out from behind the car in his haste, not eager to cause the girl any further irritation. "Where are we meeting him?"

"We'll be taking the car today," She explained as she opened up the door and threw his suit in the back. "We're picking him up in the outskirts of the nearest town before heading into the city. We'll go on foot from there, as usual."

As they climbed into the back of the limousine, Tsuna suppressed an urge to shudder. It was still difficult for him to swallow the luxurious lifestyle that he had been thrown into, and treating a limo as a casual part of his life was something he was having difficulty with. The chauffeur glanced at them in the rearview mirror, giving them a respectful nod before pulling out onto the street.

These drives were always difficult to sit through. Riko severely disliked making small talk, so it was often unbearably silent. Soft classical music drifted through the cab, but it almost made things worse in a way, reminding Tsuna of elevator music. It was difficult to decide whether or not Ryohei's addition to their small party was an improvement or not.

"_SAWADA!_" The boxer yelled loudly in greeting as soon as they pulled up to him on the curb. Riko had spent some time with him already, so she knew what to expect, but Tsuna noticed she still cringed slightly at the boy's exuberance.

"Good morning," Tsuna greeted, his smile sincere but slightly strained. "How was your run?"

"_Extremely_ refreshing!" Ryohei replied almost before Tsuna had so much as finished phrasing the question. The boxer was the only one that willingly got up before sunrise each morning, and had already mapped out and memorized an extensive route to run. Even when they were in Italy – _especially_ when they were in Italy – he insisted there was nothing more important than keeping himself in shape. "You should join me, Sawada, it would be extremely good for you! And Riko too!" He turned to their guide with an intense look. "Everyone should keep their strength up, even if they're a girl!"

She glanced up at the two of them from where she had been stoically staring out her window and shot him a slightly dirty look, murmuring, "You don't need to bother worrying about me."

"It's _extremely_ important, though!" Ryohei insisted, making Tsuna cringe a little. "Come running with me!"

"Sure, sure," She agreed with a resigned sigh, turning her attention back out the window.

"Eh?" Tsuna was admittedly surprised by her lack of resistance. "Really?"

"I don't see why not," She replied with a shrug.

"That's an _EXTREMELY _good attitude!" Ryohei cheered, causing her to drop her forehead into her hand with an irritated sigh. "Sawada! You need to-!"

"Ah, no no no, I'm fine, really!" Tsuna cut him off quickly, waving his hands in an effort to ward off the boxer's attempts. There was no way he was subjecting himself to morning runs with Ryohei, experience alone had taught him that much. He could only hope that Riko would be able to handle the young man's…_extremeness_. He would have to try talking her out of it later.

The boxer was far from being easily swayed, however, and he spent the rest of the drive trying to convince Tsuna to at least go on _one_ extreme morning run, or what about half of one, an evening one maybe, how about a midafternoon sprint, or just a late morning jog – right up until Riko snapped at them to shut up and get out once they had arrived in the city.

Though his involvement in the mafia had always been against his will, Tsuna couldn't help but appreciate that it had brought him to this place. Italy was breathtakingly beautiful, and there was no way he could argue against that. The water in the oceans and canals were vibrant shades of blue, the ebb and flow of the liquid both calming and relaxing. The architecture was simple and sturdy, every corner of the city subtly hinting towards a long history of upheld traditions and solid communities. Italy was literally the epitome of tranquility, while still bursting with life. Men and women smiled at each other on the streets, waving at one another and laughing with each other. You could be complete strangers, and still act as though you were old friends. Stepping out of the car, all of this hit Tsuna again, as it always did. He couldn't help smiling as he took a deep breath, inhaling the faint scent of sea salt and the more immediate aroma of freshly baked bread.

"Let's get going," Riko gestured for them to start moving as the car pulled away. She took note of the content expression on Tsuna's face and the corner of her mouth quirked upwards ever so slightly, quietly displaying her amusement. "There's still plenty to see."

"Oh!" Ryohei exclaimed as they began walking towards the main street. "Let's run right now!"

"Sasagawa, I already agreed to running with you in the morning," Riko said with exasperation. "What else do you want from me?"

"To run _right now_!" He replied dynamically. "_TO THE EXTREME!_"

"Oh for the love of-!" Riko's expression twisted with a mixture of shock and anger as she watched the energetic boxer literally take off down the street with his fists raised in the air. "_Sasagawa!_"

"W-wait!" Tsuna cried out after her as she broke into a run herself, chasing the boxer down. Letting out a small defeated sound, he followed her, struggling to keep up. Ryohei was really going all out, sprinting as quickly as he could, yelling at the top of his lungs the whole time. "It's no use! He won't stop, Riko!" Tsuna puffed out as he finally began to match her pace. "You're better off just letting him go and come back on his own!"

"Like _hell_ I will!" She growled back, pouring on even more speed. "I'm your guide! If that idiot gets lost, it's on _my_ head!" Both Ryohei and Riko were only gaining speed, and Tsuna could do little more than let out a little wheeze of indignation.

When Ryohei realized he had found a way to rope them into following him, he decided to turn it into a game. He began dashing down side alleys, heading one way just to turn around at the last minute and taunt them as he remained just outside of their reach, and he even started leaping over walls and fences. When that nonsense began, though, Riko surprised them both by being incredibly adept at freerunning.

Tsuna had been impressed enough when Ryohei had effortlessly launched himself over a brick wall in lieu of running around it, but it was Riko's ability to use her momentum that stunned him into brief immobility. While the boxer was getting ready to land, she literally ran up the side of the wall, lifted herself onto a roof, and dropped back down directly in front of him. Though the individual feats were rough and riddled with curses, the fluidity of her action betrayed the fact that this was something she had practiced before – extensively.

She might have caught the boxer then and there if she hadn't needed to roll out of the landing, which gave him just enough time to dodge out of her grasp. In her frustration, she threw a wild punch, which he blocked effortlessly. Judging by the look on his face, he hadn't even registered the attack, his body simply acting reflexively. Realizing she had the freedom to attack him, she dropped all of her reservations and turned it into an all-out fight, no holds barred.

The two of them were running wildly through the city, disregarding obstacles as little more than a mild nuisance, clashing violently whenever they got too close. Riko began making tactical maneuvers, attempting to outsmart the boxer by cutting though different routes and struggling to ambush him, more often than not from above. Each time she managed to catch him, they would fly into a flurry of punches and dodges, duking it out physically. No matter how many times Riko got the drop on him, though, he was always strong enough to simply brush her aside or wrench himself out of her grip once he decided it was about time they resumed running again.

Meanwhile, Tsuna was only barely managing to keep up enough to watch the action. It had begun to draw the attention of others as well, and the braver ones had actually begun running after them with Tsuna in an effort to watch the whole show. It was a ridiculous scene, Riko growling and snapping out obscenities as she ruthlessly hunted the boxer down, who was clearly enjoying himself as he kept yelling "_EXTREME!_" at the top of his lungs – all while a small crowd of civilians chased after them, cheering and shouting at all the excitement.

"Tsuna?" A familiar voice suddenly broke through the fray, and he nearly began crying tears of joy as he found an excuse to stop running. "What's going on?"

"Yamamoto!" Tsuna's voice was filled with both agitation and relief. "Reborn!"

"What mess did you make, dame-Tsuna?" Reborn immediately scolded, making Tsuna flinch.

"It's not me!" He panted out defensively. "Riko and Onii-san! They're out of control!"

"I don't really understand," Yamamoto said with a confused smile, rubbing the back of his head as he stared at the commotion. "But it sounds fun!"

"Hurry!" Tsuna gulped for air as he reluctantly began running after the two and their fans once more. True to his nature, the baseball player followed along without needing any sort of explanation.

"So those two are causing this?" Reborn asked, clearly disgruntled. "What's happened?"

"Riko is chasing Onii-san," Tsuna panted out, trying to explain with as few words as possible. "He's having too much fun."

"Tch," Reborn nudged Yamamoto, urging him to take action. "They're making too big of a commotion. It needs to stop." Tsuna was surprised to see Reborn taking the situation so seriously, as he was usually the first one to instigate chaos like this.

"I'll see what I can do!" Yamamoto replied cheerily, pouring on extra speed as he set his sights on the two dueling forms. Being both athletic and not currently sapped of energy, he had very little difficulty weaving through the crowd as he caught up to the pair. Tsuna simply followed in his wake, inadvertently using him as a human shield as they drew closer. Running ahead blindly, he almost didn't hear Yamamoto's warning, "Careful!"

The boy had to lean back all of a sudden in order to narrowly miss being hit by Riko as she tumbled by. Pivoting, she flipped herself along the nearest wall and used the momentum to throw a strong kick at Ryohei, her shin connecting solidly with his forearms as he blocked the attack once more. Taking the opportunity, he gripped her ankle firmly and tugged hard, swinging her around as she lost her balance. Tsuna winced as he watched her wrists absorb the brunt of the impact when she hit the ground, but she didn't miss a beat. With Ryohei's fingers still wrapped around her leg, she jerked her knee into her stomach, shifting his balance as well. Before he had the chance to regain his footing, she flipped over and sent another kick straight into the back of his knee. It was all one fluid motion, using the attack as a simultaneous opportunity to get back onto hands and knees. While they were both scrambling to get up onto their feet, Yamamoto took advantage of the small break and stepped between them.

"Ahh, now now," He spoke in his most soothing voice, which he usually reserved for Gokudera's temper. While he had been impressed by the brief display of action that he had just witnessed, it had also made him a bit nervous. Coming into it, he assumed it had been something playful, and he was certain that it had started out that way. Even now, he could see Ryohei grinning excitedly, putting Yamamoto slightly more at ease. But there had been a certain air of danger while they were fighting…not any kind of malice or animosity, so much as an acute focus. Both of them were fully immersed in the action, determined to come out on top, and neither of them were willing to hold back. Though he was sure that neither of them meant to do any real harm, there also wasn't a doubt in his mind that this pair was a dangerous one. "Let's not get too carried away."

"…" Riko stared at him blankly from where she was crouching on the ground, still poised as though she were about to attack at any given second. Looking at her more closely, Yamamoto could see she had entered a heightened state of freneticism, her eyes betraying the fact that her mind was still in combat mode. Her gaze hadn't moved from him, identifying him as an opponent. He stood rigidly in anticipation, unsure of whether or not she might actually try to attack him as well. She blinked once, twice, and suddenly her pupils constricted and she seemed to fully register his face. As her breathing evened out and she calmed down, Yamamoto could almost see her regain a state of lucidity.

"…Yamamoto…right…?" She asked, almost casually, as if she hadn't been about to tackle him to the ground. From where he was standing, Tsuna hadn't missed a second of the exchange, nor had Reborn, and the two of them shared a concerned glance. Her behavior had been perturbing to everyone but the boxer himself.

"Ah, that's me!" Yamamoto affirmed with a bright grin, offering a hand to help her off the ground. "We haven't really met properly before now, have we? Interesting circumstances!"

"You don't say," Riko muttered as she patted herself off, glancing at Reborn. "So our routes have begun to intersect, then."

"It seems that way." The hitman agreed. "We'll have to start adjusting them."

"You call that a route?!" Tsuna exclaimed in frustration, comfortable with raising his voice now that the crowd had finally dispersed and the action had ceased. "You two have been running all over the place ever since we got here!" Riko looked irritated for a moment, opening her mouth to retort, but no sound came out. Shutting her jaw, she dipped her head apologetically.

"You're right," She conceded. "I apologize, Tenth. That was…unprofessional of me."

"What do you mean? That was _extreme_!" Ryohei cut in before Tsuna could say anything, causing multiple eyes to roll towards the sky.

"Well, since we're all in one place now, we may as well finish up the day together!" Yamamoto suggested. "Maybe we'll even run into Gokudera and his sister!"

"Let's just go," Riko muttered, her head still hanging slightly. "I need to at least attempt making up for lost time."

"Don't worry about that," Reborn told her. "We'll just play it by ear today. There's nothing that says we need to adhere to a strict schedule." Nodding, Riko gave them a small tightlipped smile, her expression a mixture of apology and appreciation.

With all of the excitement finally over, the rest of the day was spent in a very relaxed manner. The five of them ate together and casually explored the city, allowing themselves to follow whatever whims struck them, their activities ranging from renting out bikes to riding a gondola. As the sun was setting, Yamamoto and Ryohei saw a group of children playing soccer and leapt into the game, eventually dragging Tsuna, and even Riko, in as well. By the time the game had ended, day had turned into night.

Tsuna wiped the sweat from his brow, waving with a smile as the children ran off with the ball, their excited yells following them closely.

"That was…fun." He commented with mild surprise. He had never enjoyed soccer during his PE classes, but even though he was still as clumsy as ever, the dynamic of the game changed when he played with the children. It was filled with laughter and encouragement, rather than jeers and insults.

"It was!" Yamamoto agreed with a laugh. "I wonder if we'll see them again."

"I'm sure you will," Riko replied. "It's about time for you to return, though. I didn't notice it getting so late."

"Ah," Tsuna nodded. "I'm more than ready to get some rest."

"You'll need it for our _extreme_ run, Sawada!"

"I already said no!" Yamamoto continued to laugh as Ryohei stubbornly revived the topic, unwilling to give up. While they were walking, they passed by a small street adorned with bright neon lights and a steady flow of traffic.

"That looks fun," Yamamoto commented. "Did we stop there earlier?"

"No." Riko answered tersely after casting a quick glance in that direction.

"Is it some kind of festival?" Tsuna wondered.

"No." She answered again, failing to elaborate.

"Maybe we could stop through?" Yamamoto suggested.

"_No_." Riko rejected the idea, enunciating the word with a bit more force.

"It wouldn't take that long," Tsuna started, entranced by the lights as well. "Why don't we-?"

"I said_ NO._" Riko's words hit the air like a solid punch to the gut, shocking them into silence as she whirled around to face them. "…_No_." She repeated once more for emphasis, anger written across her face.

"W-what…" Tsuna stared at her with wide eyes, trying not to cower underneath the intensity of her sudden rage. "What's the matter? Is something wrong with it?" She stayed silent, her lips pressed into a tight line as she tried to steady her breathing. "I don't think we have a curfew or anything…right Reborn?"

"…we should go, Tsuna." The hitman replied, his expression stony. "The Ninth is planning to debrief you all today, and we wouldn't want to keep him waiting. We'll be back tomorrow. It's nothing of interest anyways."

"…I should be getting back as well," Riko finally said, looking slightly calmer. "I trust you all can get back without me?" They nodded hesitantly, still wary after her outburst. "I'll be parting ways here, then." With a quick dip of her head, she brushed by them, walking briskly back down the street in the opposite direction.

"…R-reborn?" Tsuna turned to look at his 'tutor'. "What was that?"

"I'm not sure," He replied, looking mildly troubled. "I think it would be best not to ask her directly, though."

* * *

><p>"So," The Ninth rested his chin upon his interlaced fingers as he smiled at the boys. "How has your visit been so far?"<p>

"Good," Tsuna answered, his friends nodding in agreement. "It's been very enjoyable."

"Ah, I'm glad to hear that." The Ninth grinned. "If you don't mind, I'd like to hear about your experiences thus far – all four of you."

The boys took turns sharing various stories from the past month, pausing now and then to unanimously agree that the food and social life was amazing.

"Aneki's been rigorous with my training," Gokudera briefed. "I'm certain that I'm improving, though!"

"Good, good," The Ninth nodded in approval.

"The kid showed me the closest batting cages yesterday," Yamamoto jumped in. "Would it be alright for me to get some practice in sometime?"

"Of course," The elderly man chuckled. "This is still a vacation, technically."

"I had an _extreme_ fight today!" Ryohei forced his way into the conversation, making the Ninth lift an eyebrow.

"Did you?"

"This might be a good place to say this," Reborn spoke up from where he was perched on the desk. "I've been meaning to ask you about Tsuna's guide."

"Paolo?"

"…No. His replacement." Tsuna could see that the Ninth's lack of recognition had instantly made Reborn suspicious. "We were told he had grown ill. A girl named Riko was sent to replace him."

"Ah, I see. I don't directly handle these affairs, so it's possible I simply missed the memo. What did you want to ask?"

"I'm just curious about her profile. She displayed impressive combat abilities earlier today, but also seems to be a bit…unstable." Gokudera made a strangled sound at the suggestion that his boss was in danger, and Yamamoto had to act quickly in order to calm him down.

"Hmm…" The Ninth's brow furrowed as he listened to Reborn. "Do you think she's a danger?"

"I can't say for sure." The hitman answered honestly.

"What do you think, Tsunayoshi-kun, being the one that's spent the most time with her?"

"Eh?" Tsuna tilted his head in thought. "Well…well, I…I think she _is_ dangerous. I've had that feeling for a while, now."

"Would you like to be assigned to someone else?" The Ninth showed genuine concern. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize-"

"N-no!" Tsuna interrupted quickly. "I mean, being dangerous isn't the same as being a bad person! I don't think she has any intention to hurt me. She was…acting odd today, and it was a bit frightening, but I wouldn't want to…_fire_ her."

"I see," The Ninth looked relieved as he sat back in his seat. "I trust in your intuition – if you feel safe with her, then I'll be sure to keep her as your guide. I'll pull her file and glance over it tonight, though, just to be safe. For now, you four get some rest. I can brief you on what I find in the morning."

"Th-thank you." Tsuna blushed slightly at the display of faith as they stood to leave. "I appreciate that."

"Of course, Tsunayoshi-kun," The Ninth smiled in that grandfatherly way of his as they exited his office. "Sleep well, all of you."

Once the door shut behind them, he ran a hand over his face briefly before pressing a button on the phone beside him.

"Yes, Ninth?" Someone answered on the other end.

"Find who is acting as my heir's current guide, and bring me their file if you can."

"Right away, Ninth." It only took a few moments before his door was opening again, admitting a young man with a manila folder. "Here you are," He presented the file with a deep bow. "This should be what you're looking for."

"Thank you," The Ninth said, dismissing him with a smile. He waited until the man had bowed once more and left his office before opening the file on his desk.

As he scanned over the contents, his eyes began to grow wide, and he lifted a hand to his mouth. "Th-this is…" After scanning the document over once more, he pressed the button on his phone once more.

"Yes, Ninth?"

"Please tell Arlo to wake Tsunayoshi-kun up early tomorrow, and send him to my office. I need to discuss something with him."

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><p><strong>AN: **I'm sorry to leave you with another cliffhanger! I just couldn't resist, it was the perfect place to cut off the chapter! This was a bit of a filler chapter, but I'm hoping to start incorporating some major plot points in the next chapter. I hope this was still an enjoyable read. Thank you guys so much for giving this your attention, and I appreciate all your reviews!

Keep yourselves happy, healthy, and safe lovelies - I hope you're all having a wonderful day :)


	6. Identities Revealed

Hello! How is everyone doing? Fantastic, I hope!

I'm sorry for the sudden hiatus recently - I've been in and out of the hospital/doctor's office over the past month, as my health has begun to take a bit of a turn for the worse (it's nothing life threatening, but definitely quite a nuisance). As a result, I haven't had much free time to write, and could only do so in little spurts. Hopefully that hasn't made this chapter too disjointed.

Let me put in a little warning/side note here: There will be slightly mature themes mentioned in this chapter, but I'm keeping the T rating for now, as I don't go into anything explicitly. It's limited to implied illegal sex work and shouldn't be very offensive, but if that is something you might be sensitive to, please take caution.

That aside, I hope this chapter is enjoyable after the long wait!

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><p>Tsuna had been surprised when Arlo hadn't so much as tried to throw a suit on him that morning, but instead ushered him directly to the Ninth's office without much explanation. His surprise only grew when he found not only the Ninth within, but Gokudera as well.<p>

"Tenth!" The bomber greeted, looking confused but pleased to see him. "Good morning!"

"Ah, G-good morning," Tsuna tilted his head, still blinking the sleep out of his eyes. "What's going on?"

"I'm sorry to have awoken you early, Tsunayoshi-kun, but I felt that this was important to discuss." The Ninth answered while Gokudera shrugged. "Please have a seat."

"Is something wrong?" Tsuna couldn't keep his brow from wrinkling with worry.

"I looked into your guide's file last night, as promised, and made some…unsettling discoveries."

"Is she an assassin?" Gokudera immediately spat the accusation out as he sat forward, his face contorting in anger. "I swear, if she's here to hurt the Tenth, I'll-"

"Calm down." The Ninth cut him off quickly before the boy could get any more worked up. "You're…correct in a way."

"Wha-?!"

"Let me finish, please. This is a bit complex, and it will be easiest if you would just allow me to explain without interruption." Though he still looked furious, Gokudera reluctantly shut his mouth and sat back in his chair, crossing his arms tensely. "Thank you." The bomber gave a small defiant huff while Tsuna leaned forward.

"What do you mean he's right…?" He asked fearfully. "Is Riko really here to hurt me?"

"No. At least, there doesn't seem to be any evidence to support such a claim. It seems she hasn't been entirely forthcoming with the truth, though. Do you know how old she is?"

"Eh?" Tsuna glanced up, trying to remember if she had ever mentioned anything. "N-no. If I were to guess, eighteen or nineteen maybe?"

"Actually, she's only about a year older than yourself."

"E-eh? She's only sixteen?" Tsuna found it difficult to believe. Sure, some girls bloomed early, but it was usually easy to tell if someone was still a teen. "Are you sure?"

"Unless someone thought altering such trivial information in our records was worth the risk, I'm positive. Her age is precisely what makes these next bits so disconcerting…" The Ninth took a moment to flip through the file silently as he rested his face against his palm, his fingers tapping rhythmically against his cheek. "She's an established hitman."

"_What?!_" Gokudera couldn't contain the small outburst, but stopped short once again as Tsuna laid a hand on his shoulder. "Tenth…?"

"It's alright," He soothed with a small smile. "I'm safe, don't worry." After a beat, the bomber nodded, allowing his trust in his boss to take over and ease his mind. Satisfied, Tsuna turned his attention back to the Ninth. "What do you mean? Did someone hire her?"

"Yes, but don't worry – your life is not in danger. She's affiliated with the Vongola, by default, as she only works for one individual quite a bit further down the command chain."

"I…see…" Several memories were suddenly resurfacing in Tsuna's mind, framed by an entirely different context. The way she fought, and how easily she ran through the city as though she had done so hundreds of times before; the way her eyes were constantly scanning her surroundings when they were out, and the way she always stayed near an exit when they were indoors. The way she rarely smiled and always looked worn out.

She was just sixteen, and he found himself wondering how many lives she had taken. It should have been a terrifying thought, but it just made him a bit sad. He remembered how she had been bending over to pick something up once, and the hem of her shirt had lifted just enough to give him a glimpse of a gun hilt peeking out of her shorts.

"_This is the mafia. Self-defense is mandatory,"_ She had explained curtly when he panicked and asked her about it, but there was something her face that had kept him from pushing the subject. Was it sadness? Regret? Remorse, even? He couldn't say. Despite the fact that there was currently no evidence to support it, though, Tsuna felt certain that Riko was not freely choosing to…kill people. She was cold, but she wasn't a heartless murderer. She just…she couldn't be.

"…Tsunayoshi-kun." As the Ninth called his name, Tsuna's head snapped up, pulling himself out of the storm inside his head. "There's more."

"More…?" A sinking feeling enveloped his stomach as a cold claw of panic tore through his chest.

"I'm only choosing to share this because you seem to care about her. As her friend, I assume you should know this." The old man let out a heavy sigh, suddenly looking several years older as his face took on a disappointed expression. "The girl is currently…_earning_ her keep at a brothel in the city."

"A b-br-?!" Tsuna couldn't even get the word out as he stood abruptly, his chair tilting back and crashing against the ground behind him. "Ah…I-I, um," He scrambled around it, pulling it back upright as he tried to sort through his thoughts. A _brothel_? She couldn't be working at a brothel, she was sixteen, how could that even be legal, _what was she thinking? _"I…I need to go… I need to talk to her…this has to be a mistake, so…I'll just talk to her, yeah…" He muttered as he paced around the chair a few more times. "I-I have to go."

"Tenth!" Gokudera called as he rose to follow him out.

"I'm not quite finished." The Ninth said, stopping them in their tracks.

"Not…finished…?" Tsuna turned back to face him slowly, his eyes consumed with horror. "What more can there be…?" The situation was already so disgustingly surreal, Tsuna was afraid to even ask.

"Just a small fact – it seems she hasn't disclosed her full name to you."

"It's…not Riko?"

"Not quite. It's _Yu_riko." Tsuna opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again when he heard Gokudera let out a small noise, as if the name had stirred a memory. The bomber's brow furrowed as he gave the Ninth a curious look. "…So you _do_ recognize it."

In less than a second, the Storm Guardian went from looking confused to looking shocked.

"Wh-what?" He growled, the shocked expression fluidly melting into one of anger.

"I'm…confused." Tsuna admitted, glancing back and forth between the two of them.

"There's only a small note which mentions your father's name here, Gokudera-kun, but I figured it was enough of a reason to call you in as well."

"E-eh? Gokudera? Do you know Ri…er, I mean…Yuriko?" The bomber's eyes had gone dark.

"…No…" He growled under his breath. Before Tsuna could say anything more, he turned and slammed the doors open, storming out of the office.

"G-gokudera?!" Alarm and confusion were clear in Tsuna's voice as he followed his guardian out. "What's the matter?"

"_Aneki!_" His raucous voice tore through the halls, ignoring Tsuna's questions. "_ANEKI_!"

Tsuna stopped, staring at the other boy's back in shock. Gokudera was _furious_. It was almost as if hearing that name had set him off like a stick of dynamite, catapulting him into a mindless rage. He clearly knew Riko, but Tsuna couldn't begin to guess why she made him so angry.

"What in the world is it, Hayato?" Bianchi walked out of the kitchen just as they passed by, cutting off the bomber's next yell. Her goggles were crooked and she had a smear of mysterious purple sludge on her cheek, her expression clearly exasperated. "I have things on the stove." The thought immediately added a green tinge to the boys' faces, but Gokudera continued forward, pushing his face right into hers. The invasion of personal space didn't seem to help her irritation.

"Would you care to explain why Yuri is a hitman now? Or why she's living in a _brothel_?" Bianchi's eyes widened as her brother spit the last word out, as though it were venom spattering across her face.

"What?" Shock was evident on her face, but she didn't seem surprised.

"Why the hell isn't she with you?" Gokudera nearly screamed, growing more and more angry as his questions went unanswered. "Isn't she your responsibility?" Bianchi's eyes lifted over Gokudera's face to find Tsuna, standing several feet behind them with confusion and worry written all over his features.

"Calm down, Hayato." She said, attempting to pacify her brother, but doing so verbally was a lost cause. As he began to shout again, she swiftly pulled her goggles off, sending him to the ground in an instant. "Now, let's _talk_. Grab him, will you?" She told Tsuna as she strode back into the kitchen. Obediently, he rushed to the bomber's side and helped him into the kitchen. "You two sit down. You, take over breakfast." The head chef looked ready to cry tears of joy as she gave him permission to cook a normal meal in place of…whatever it was she had been concocting back there.

"Bianchi, I don't understand. How do you know Riko? I mean…Yuri?" It felt incredibly unnatural to suddenly change the name he used to identify someone.

"I'll explain in a moment," She replied while pulling her goggles back over her face. "First, tell me what Hayato meant just now. How do _you_ know Yuri?"

"She's been my guide…" Tsuna grimaced a bit as recognition spread across her face. This was turning into a train wreck, and he had far more questions than answers at the moment.

"Is that right? I thought there was something familiar about her…"

"The Ninth called us both into his office this morning after looking at her file," Tsuna began to explain in a rush. He had to start clearing something up, and this was the only thing he could offer. "He told us that she's a hitman for a lower member in the family, and that she's earning her keep at a brothel."

"That child is…?" Bianchi looked down in thought. "I wasn't expecting that."

"Why isn't she with you?" Gokudera reiterated as he struggled to lift his face off of the table's surface. "You don't even look surprised."

"Hayato, she's been gone for years. She disappeared around the same time you left us."

"What?" Judging by his expression, this was not the reply he had been expecting.

"She just vanished. She didn't come back one day, and she hasn't been seen since. I don't know what else to tell you."

"And you didn't look for her?"

"Of course I looked," Bianchi snapped. "But I can only do so much on my own, especially when I'm left to pick up the pieces you left behind."

Now it was Gokudera's turn to take offense.

"What do you mean on your own? And just what did I leave behind? All anyone ever expected of me was to study and become some sort of prodigal pianist, like some kind of whipped-"

"_Enough_." Bianchi slammed her hand down onto the table, causing both boys to flinch. "You left, Hayato. I'm not saying I don't understand your reasons, or that I don't respect and support your decision, but you just _left_. You never gave an explanation or a reason. I understand your feelings, but you are still your father's son. _You_ were the one everyone expected to take over the family, but I was expected to take your place when you left. Honestly, with you suddenly running away, do you think he would waste any resources trying to find a _servant_? Of course I had to search for her all by myself!"

"I…" For once, Gokudera looked speechless as he struggled to hold on to his anger, but only succeeded in stifling a look of shame.

"With all the commotion in the house, I could only assume she had used the situation as a chance to run away. Does it occur to you that maybe she prefers this to living with our mess of a family? Maybe your disappearing was just the last straw, after everything she dealt with?"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Gokudera's voice was barely more than a vicious growl, dangerous and threatening. The tension in the room was becoming unbearable.

"Would you two _stop fighting_?!" Tsuna yelled loudly, his tone slicing through the charged atmosphere. "Someone please explain this to me, I don't care who!"

"T-tenth…" He was still tense with anger and adrenalin, but Gokudera looked more like a kicked puppy now. Taking a deep breath, Bianchi rested her chin on her fingers, exhaling slowly.

"Why are we even talking about this?" She asked, causing Tsuna's eyes to widen in surprise. "It's surprising that she's a hitman, yes, but that's considered a prestigious title around here, especially for someone of her status. It demands fear and respect. This lifestyle you mentioned…it may just be what she wants for herself-"

"It's _not_." Tsuna cut in firmly. "I can't say how, but I just know that it isn't. We're talking about this because she's my friend, whether her name is Riko or Yuri, whether I've known her for a month or a year, I don't care. She's treated me well and I know she's not a bad person, and if what we've learned is true…anyone deserves better than what she's living with right now. You two have clearly known her for longer, but she's my friend too. You don't have the right to just cut me out of this conversation." His face was serious and his voice confident, but his hands were trembling in his lap. He wasn't the type to put his foot down and make demands of other people, but there was a limit to even his patience and tolerance.

"Tenth…" Gokudera stared at him in shock for a moment before turning to bow deeply. "I'm sorry! You're right. I wasn't taking you into consideration at all. Please forgive me!" Again and again, he bowed with such fervor that Tsuna began to worry he might get whiplash.

"Hmm…" Bianchi hummed, and Tsuna hesitantly turned to face her, expecting her to be angry. To his surprise, she was actually smiling. "I suppose that _is_ why you've been chosen as the heir. Your flame's really showing."

"Eh? What? It is?" As Tsuna began to frantically pat at his forehead in alarm, she chuckled.

"I mean metaphorically. You remember what the role of a sky boss is, right?"

"Er…"

"Rain, Storm, Cloud, Sun, Mist, and Lightning," Gokudera recited easily. "He influences all of them. He understands and accepts all of them. I see…as expected of the tenth!"

"You're already doing your job as the boss," Bianchi explained as Tsuna's confusion persisted. "You've only known Yuri for a month, and from what little I've heard, she's been difficult to get along with. But you understand her. You accept her. She's a member of the Vongola, a member of the family that you're to inherit, and you're willing to do what's necessary to make sure she's safe…right?"

"Of course…" Tsuna murmured, looking down. "But…"

"That's all a family can ask of its boss. Of course you're not expected to take responsibility for the entire city, and you won't be for some time…but you seem to have what it takes to do so."

"Of course he does!" Gokudera snapped. "I knew that all along! The Tenth is amazing!"

"In any case, I apologize as well. You deserve to be included." She continued, ignoring her brother. "It will take a little bit of explaining for you to understand our relationship with her."

"_Our_…?" Gokudera asked with narrowed eyes.

"Yes," She replied without looking at him. "Ours. Now, Tsuna, you understand that there are multiple mafia families, both large and small, right?"

"Ah, yes," He nodded.

"When we were younger, one of our father's closest friends was the boss of a very small mafia family, the Consiglio. They were small, but still wealthy, and their mansion was well staffed. One of their servants was a young woman, an immigrant from Japan – this was Yuri's mother. Unfortunately, a fire broke out in the mansion – whether it was an assassination attempt on the boss or just an accident, we still don't know. Either way, the fire successfully claimed the life of the Consiglio family's boss, as well as several other servants', Yuri's mother included."

"What about her father?" Tsuna asked.

"She never knew him," Bianchi said with a shrug.

"So she was orphaned?"

"Yes. She probably would have ended up homeless…but the Consiglio Boss's will left the majority of his property to our father, including the help that had been under his employment. Though she hadn't technically been employed, Yuri ended up with us anyways. She was only a child, so of course she stood out to me when we were presented with the new lineup. I was interested in her, and couldn't see her handling the standard level of housework that would be required. So I asked my father to assign her as my own personal servant. When I learned that she had lost her mother, I felt inclined to fill the role."

"So you took care of her?"

"As well as I could. I was still young at the time as well, of course. I made some…" She glanced away, looking slightly bashful. "Immature decisions. She probably saw me as more of an older sister, actually. She was a sweet child, though. Her social skills were lacking, incredibly shy around anyone that she didn't know, but always very kind. She couldn't hold a grudge to save her life, or even get angry for that matter. She was eager to please, bright, inquisitive-"

"She was _annoying_." Gokudera cut in.

"Eh?" Tsuna was already stunned by Bianchi's description of the girl, but the wild discrepancy between the siblings only served to confuse him further. With another sigh, Bianchi continued her explanation.

"Hayato was always running off and causing trouble when he was younger. I was constantly worried, but I couldn't always keep an eye on him. So I would usually ask Yuri to, and she grew to be very good at the job."

"Goody-two-shoes tattletale…" Gokudera grumbled. "She would follow me around looking like a pathetic dog and then snitch on me whenever I tried to do anything. Annoying pain in the-"

"That's _enough_, Hayato." Bianchi chastised sternly. "Is that really what you thought of her all that time? Most of that was out of a misplaced sense of loyalty to me. Half the time, her 'tattling' kept you from hurting yourself. She kept you company when you were being tutored, and waited outside the door for your piano lessons-"

"I didn't ask her to do any of that." Gokudera continued to glower, crossing his arms defensively.

"You didn't have to. Honestly, Hayato, are you really so clueless? She was trying to be your friend."

"Why would she want to do that?"

"You were literally the only other child she had ever seen that was her own age. You had the freedom to go out and play, to get whatever toys you wanted; she only knew what it felt like to stay inside all day, be it as a servant or a servant's daughter. You probably looked like the most fun she had ever seen, and she genuinely wanted to be friends. Had that thought ever occurred to you?"

"…" The bomber glared at her, but only tightened his jaw as he averted his eyes. Tsuna cleared his throat hesitantly in an attempt to break the tension. He had the feeling that very little of this was actually about Yuri, but their entire history before Tsuna had even met the storm guardian, and he didn't feel comfortable invading such an intimate exchange.

"So what…happened to her?" This seemed to pull the bomber out of his anger, as he lifted his eyes back to them in interest. This was technically the question he had been trying to get answered all along.

"I can't say," Bianchi looked disturbed at this point. "There was a time when Hayato decided he wanted to join the mafia. As usual, I sent Yuri to look after him when I couldn't. She just…never came back." Tsuna's face paled as she spoke, quietly piecing things together in his head. The girl goes missing while following Gokudera into the mafia and shows up years later as a hitman? The connection between the two was obvious, which only left the question of why she was living in a brothel.

With a quick glance at the grandfather clock sitting at the end of the room, Tsuna pushed his chair out and stood.

"The only thing to do is ask her directly, then. She should be getting here soon, so…" The thought made him nervous. This wouldn't be an easy subject to broach, but his mind was made.

"I'll…I'll go with you," Gokudera said, moving to stand as well, but Tsuna held up a hand.

"I think it might be better if it's just me for now, Gokudera." The bomber looked hesitant, but sat back down with a nod.

"I understand, Tenth."

"Tsuna," Lifting his face, Tsuna turned to look at Bianchi. "Would you at least see if she might be willing to come in? I'd…like to see her."

"I'll do my best." He was skeptical, but figured it would be worth a shot.

"Thank you." With a nod, he waved goodbye and left them to make his way towards the foyer. As he exited the mansion and jogged down the front steps, he was surprised to see two figures standing out by the gate. His eyes widened as he got closer, able to make out their facial features.

"Oi, Sawada! You missed an _extreme_ run!" The boxer was standing tall and proud, looking alive and rejuvenated. By his side, however, Riko…er, Yuri…was bent over at the waist with a hand against the wall, still struggling to catch her breath. Lifting her head just enough to glance up at him, she was only able to raise her other hand in a feeble wave, wincing as her side cramped up.

"I'm, uh…sure I did." Stepping in closer, he spoke in a low voice so that only the sun guardian could hear him. "Listen, there's something I need to discuss with her right now, and it's probably best done in private." Ryohei gave him a questioning look, but nodded.

"Understood! Riko! I'll see you tomorrow!" He yelled as he starting running backwards up the path. Again, she only lifted a hand weakly as her method of response, sliding down against the wall to sit. As the boxer turned around and left them, Tsuna approached her with a worried look.

"You actually went on a run with him?"

"I…said I would…didn't I?" She answered between breaths.

"Yes, but…" Tsuna was incredulous, reaching out to support her as she got back onto her legs shakily. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," She panted, though she looked pale and dehydrated. "I just need to walk it off."

"If you're sure…" Turning around, she began to pace slowly along the outer length of the wall. "Um…Riko? Can I ask you something?" Glancing over her shoulder, she motioned for him to walk alongside her.

"Go ahead."

"I, um...you never told me you were a hitman." The moment the word left his mouth, she came to a stop, panting lightly. Tsuna's heart hammered away in his chest as he waited for her reaction, but she just started walking again. She didn't even look surprised.

"You never asked." She replied simply. "I am curious about how you found out, though."

"Oh, um…" It probably wasn't a good idea to tell her that they were snooping into her file because they had suspected her of being an assassin sent to kill him. "The Ninth told me."

"I see." There was a moment of silence. She kept her eyes forward, refusing to look at him, and he could tell she was being especially careful not to reveal any emotions. He had noticed over time that whenever she wanted to hide, the muscles around her eyes would tighten. It was a subtle shift, but incredibly obvious when he knew what to look for.

"…" He opened his mouth and took a breath, planning to rush through the next question as quickly as he could, but found himself unable to get the words out.

"…what is it?" She asked hesitantly. Tsuna glanced down, clenching his hands into fists as he steeled himself once more.

"Why didn't you tell me you were living in a brothel?" He saw her feet suddenly come to a stop and lifted his face to look at her, suppressing a flinch as he did. He was able to see the whites of her eyes with how wide they were, teeth clenched so tightly that the muscles of her jaw were rippling. She looked horrified…no – _terrified_.

"…I…" Her lips were moving in an attempt to form words, but she had literally frozen in place. "How…?"

"The Ninth has a file on you." Tsuna said in an attempt to explain, unsure of how he should be handling her reaction. He had never seen her look so…volatile.

"No…that shouldn't…"

"I-it's alright…" Worried, he didn't even think through what he was saying. "Yuri?"

The entire situation fell apart too quickly for him to comprehend as soon as her real name had left his mouth.

First, she flinched backwards, as if he had sent a jolt of electricity through her when he touched her shoulder, before the mixture of emotions that had been battling across her face settled into one single expression:

Rage.

With a strangled scream, she lunged at him, wrapping her fingers around his throat and slamming him against the wall. He let out a low grunt as he collided with the bricks behind him, instinctively reaching up to clutch and yank at her wrists, but her grip was too firm.

"Why do you know that name?" She hissed, her eyes wild. "What do you know? _What do you know about me?_"

Adrenalin was surging through his veins and he felt the urge to strike out at her, but Tsuna forced himself to remain calm. Her thumbs were digging into his throat, but she wasn't applying nearly enough pressure to pose any danger – it was uncomfortable, but he could breathe just fine. Her goal here wasn't to kill him, or even to hurt him. It was a defense mechanism, the way an animal would lash out just enough to cause damage but not death in order to escape. She was feeling threatened.

"I know that your full name is Yuriko." He forced out, still able to talk, though the sound was slightly wheezy. "I know that two members of my family were your family at one point too. I know that whatever you're doing right now…working as a hitman or a brothel worker…isn't your choice. And I know that it isn't your fault. I know that I want to help you."

Her fingers were slowly loosening, making it easier for him to speak calmly, soothingly. She still looked panicked, but not angry. Her face was close enough that he could feel her ragged breath on his cheek and see the saltwater resting along her lower eyelid. Slowly, her fingers loosened and her hands fell from his throat, tangling into her hair instead as she took deep, steadying breaths.

"…what's your name?" He finally asked, hesitant. The question seemed silly after she had just tried to strangle him, but it felt like the most important one to ask at the moment. She squeezed her eyes shut, making fists in her hair.

"…_Yuri_," She whispered, like it was a treasured secret. "It's always been Yuri."

"Why did you change it?" Tsuna kept his voice low to match hers. He didn't want to risk setting her off again.

"There are bad people in the world, Tenth," Opening her eyes, she gave him a pitifully pleading look, begging him to understand. "Corrupt, dirty…and I'm one of them. My name is the only thing left of me that's clean...unstained."

"…What happened to you?" She shook her head, lips pressed into a thin line, making it clear that she wouldn't answer the question. Tsuna decided to switch back to another line of questioning rather than pushing her. "Why didn't you tell me any of this? Why lie?"

"If this was the person that you were," She spoke slowly, gesturing down at herself. "Would you tell people? Would you be able to look someone in the eye and say, 'I am stuck in this place, forced to do these things, because I'm too weak to make a difference'?" She turned around so that Tsuna could barely hear her next words. "Have you ever felt ashamed to exist?"

He had no answer to that. But he wasn't about to leave her in this state.

"I think there's a lot that we need to talk about," He suggested gently, resting his fingers on her elbows to guide her forward. "Would you be willing to come inside and sit down?" He paused, thinking of Bianchi's request. "Bianchi and Gokudera would like to see you."

She flinched at the sound of their names.

"I don't…" She looked panicked, but unsure. It suddenly occurred to him that she had been hoping to see them all this time. Her reaction to his dinner invite when he had first arrived to Italy suddenly made much more sense.

"Please? They've been worried."

"_Have_ they?" Her tone was skeptical, and the look she was giving him suggested blatant incredulity. It wasn't hard to tell what she was hinting at.

"Well…Bianchi has been worried."

"That sounds a little more believable." She scoffed, sounding more like her usual self as she quietly recovered from her outburst. Tsuna had to wonder just how normal that self was, though. "They know about me, then?"

"Yes." She was trying hard to keep her mask on, but Tsuna could see that she was afraid. "They just want to know that you're alright. Won't you at least do that much?"

"If I do," She glanced away. "It might not go the way you're expecting it to. Things have changed. I'm not…I'm not the same. What if they don't…?" She had to swallow, unable to speak her mind any further.

"I think you need to give them more credit than that."

"…" He took her silence to mean compliance and started leading the way back to the HQ. A few seconds later, he could hear her footsteps following after him.

"Tenth," One of the men stationed out front gave him a questioning look. "Is something the matter?"

"We're just having a small change of plans today. Is it alright if she comes in with me?"

"We're not permitted to-"

"Can you, um…make an exception? We need a bit of privacy to talk, and she's not a threat." The guard looked unsure. "She's a member of the Vongola," Tsuna suddenly remembered. "The Ninth confirmed it with me this morning. She's cleared." He didn't sound nearly as confident as he had been hoping to, but it seemed to be enough.

"Of course, Tenth," Stepping aside, the large man allowed them access to the entrance. Tsuna turned around and waved Yuri in, who climbed the steps timidly. She cast the guard a cautious glance as they passed by the guard, physically bending over sideways just to put more space in between them.

Slowly, Tsuna led her into the mansion as he searched for his friends. They had since left the kitchen and they weren't in the foyer, so he had to look into the other individual rooms. It didn't take long to hear Gokudera's angry voice drifting down the hall, leaving Tsuna thankful of the boy's short temper for once. As they got closer, he could hear that the siblings were arguing again, though their words were too difficult to make out through the thick door. They stopped as soon as his knuckles made contact with the wood, and he opened the door slowly.

"A-am I interrupting something…?" He asked tentatively as he stuck his head in.

"Of course not, Tenth!" Gokudera answered immediately, jumping to his feet.

"No, it's fine," Bianchi agreed simultaneously from where she was seated. "What do you need?"

Tsuna stepped back out to look at Yuri, whose worry was showing much more clearly now. She glanced back the way she had come, as if considering running away. Reaching out, Tsuna offered her his hand, trying to look as reassuring as he could. She stared at it for a moment before lifting her own hand. Wrapping her fingers around his palm, she squeezed so tightly that he could feel the muscles in her arm trembling with stress. He didn't try to push or pull her – he simply stood and allowed her to hang on to him, like a drowning person would cling to a life ring. When she finally let go, she looked calm and grounded, and he gave a satisfied nod before stepping into the room.

"I've brought someone," He said with a nervous smile, and turned to wave her in. Slowly, she stepped around behind him, keeping her eyes on the ground. As she came into view, Bianchi stood abruptly, scattering a pile of papers across the floor. "Um…m-meet Yuri…again," He introduced lamely. Beside him, she glanced up hesitantly and took a deep breath, trying to square her shoulders.

"It's…" Her voice was little more than a whisper. "Been awhile."

"Too long." Bianchi said, smiling affectionately. "It's good to finally see you again." Carelessly kicking aside the papers she had dropped, she sat back down on the couch, leaving more than enough room for another person. She gave the spot next to her a few inviting little pats when Yuri didn't move, but with another encouraging nudge from Tsuna, the girl stepped forward.

She was staring at the siblings warily, as if they might bite her if she got too close. The way the room was arranged, she had to pass by Gokudera in order to reach the couch, and he hadn't spoken a word since she appeared. She tried to give herself a wide berth, but he cleared his throat as she passed, making her pause.

Though she seemed intent on keeping her eyes forward, she allowed them to flick to the side, towards him. As soon as he saw her glance at him, he diverted his gaze and crossed his arms, unsure of what to say.

"…young master Hayato." She broke the silence, dipping her head in greeting. The title seemed to startle him. A small sound escaped his throat as he took a small step back, giving her a strange look, but she had already started moving again. Even Tsuna was surprised to hear her address him that way, although it was in line with the story Bianchi had told him earlier that morning. After seeing her consistently disregard formalities around him, Tsuna hadn't expected to ever hear her speak those words.

"Are you alright?" The moment she sat down, Bianchi had Yuri's face in her hands. "When Tsuna told me what you've been doing…"

"Please," Grabbing Bianchi's wrists, she pulled away gently. "Don't."

"…So," Gokudera broke the silence before it had the chance to stagnate around them. "You're an official hitman now? That's…impressive." Tsuna felt the urge to cringe as the Bomber struggled to make conversation, forcing the words through his teeth. "How did that happen?"

"By chance, mostly," Yuri stared at her hands as she spoke, watching herself pick at her nails. "It's really more of a…part-time thing." Something in her voice suggested that even she wasn't entirely convinced by those words.

"How did you end up working for the Tenth?"

"I was hired. The requirement called for a guide that was bi-lingual, fluent in both Italian and Japanese. There aren't many that fit that description within the mafia – they aren't exactly fond of 'oriental half-breeds'," Glancing up, she shot him a knowing look. "A fact I'm sure you're intimately familiar with." It didn't take much to offend the boy, but a quick look from Tsuna had him restraining himself from lashing out at her.

"But you got into the Vongola," He said, voice quivering with forced calm.

"Right," Bianchi spoke up. "I'm amazed we never realized that you were a member of the family." For the first time, Yuri smiled, but it was wry and dark.

"'Member'," She repeated, making quotes with her fingers as she scoffed. "You say that like I'm one of you, but I'm not. All of you…you're mafia members. You joined this family of your own volition. Me…I'm nothing more than property. I'm _owned_ by the Vongola."

"Wha-" Tsuna leaned forward, unsure of what to make of that. "What do you mean?"

"You see these clothes I'm wearing? Have you ever seen me wear anything else?" She looked down at herself, mouth twisting into a frown. "Red shirt, black shorts…that's the uniform."

"Uniform?"

"Of the brothel." The word slid out from between her teeth like a hiss, silencing the three of them. "When I go outside, this is what I have to wear. I can barely get away with wearing a coat most of the time." Shifting, she sat so that the dark tattoo on her thigh was well displayed, tracing the outline lightly with her fingers. "This is a brand. All the workers are marked this way. It shows that we belong to the business. When we're out, we display this, and anyone that sees it will know where to find us if we've…sparked an _interest_. It's 'good for business'," Her fingers moved to the top of the tattoo, ending just under her hip. "This little add-on here is unique to me. A Vongola's branding. I have to show it when I'm doing work related to the mafia – escorting the heir through the city, for instance. It's like my own personal 'Busy – try again later' sign." She let out a bitter laugh. "I'm just property, a piece of meat to be owned and used as needed. That's all I've ever been. The only thing that changes is the family name."

Once again, she had driven the room into complete silence. Tsuna could hear his pulse pounding in his ears as he stared at her in shock. Another memory had resurfaced as she was talking, of the first day she had met him and taken him to the café – the eerie man at the back of the room staring at them with an intense gaze, the way she had seemed desperate for a longer pair of pants…the sudden realization of what he had witnessed that day made his skin crawl.

"Yuri," Bianchi had a pained look on her face as she laid her hand gingerly atop the girl's. "Just…tell me…did you choose to leave us? Were you running away when you disappeared?" It didn't take hyper-intuition to see that the look of horror on Yuri's face was genuine.

"Of course not," She whispered, as if the thought alone was taboo. "I would never…why would you even think that?" This seemed to put Bianchi at ease, and she exhaled as though she had been holding her breath.

"That's all I needed to know. Boys," She turned to the two of them. "I'd like to have some time alone with her. Would you mind giving us the room?"

"O-of course," Tsuna said as he stood a bit too eagerly, Gokudera doing the same. Honestly, he wouldn't know what to say and was glad to have an excuse to escape. "Take your time. I-I'll see you later," He told Yuri with an encouraging smile.

She failed to return it, just giving him a tired nod. As Gokudera stepped out behind him, Tsuna allowed the door to shut, although it remained open just a crack.

"Are you alright?" He turned to ask the bomber with genuine concern.

"A-ah," Gokudera responded brightly, although his smile was forced. "I'm fine, Tenth! I'm just…confused," The smile slowly slid from his face as he leaned up against the wall. "How did she end up like…that?"

"I don't know," Tsuna replied, shaking his head as he rested against the wall beside his friend. "She doesn't seem eager to share the story." Pushing his fingers into his hair, he let out a heavy sigh. "She's clearly not choosing this, though."

He couldn't just sit by and watch this happen…but if she wasn't going to tell them anything, how could he help her? The only thing he could think of…there was a file that held nearly all of her information, and it was just sitting on the Ninth's desk. Suddenly, that little manila folder held far more importance than it had that morning. Of course, he couldn't just ask the Ninth to set everything aside for him to play sleuth…but he could at least ask for a copy of the file.

Pushing off from the wall, he moved to close the door properly, peeking in as he did so. He could tell Bianchi was doing most of the talking, while Yuri just stared at the ground and wrung her hands, blinking frequently. After a moment, Bianchi opened her arms, pulling the younger girl into a tight embrace. It barely took any time for Yuri to wrap her arms around Bianchi's torso, fingers twisting into the cloth of her shirt. There was a certain desperation to the hug, hands trembling as she buried her face in the other's shoulder, clinging like this was the last hug she would ever receive – or maybe the first one she'd had in far too long.

Not wanting to intrude, Tsuna hastily shut the door the rest of the way. He was gripping the handle of the door so tightly that his knuckles were white. Yes, there was nothing that said he couldn't take the file and look through it himself. This was his own decision, a problem that he was making his own, and he didn't have to rely on the Ninth. He would take the situation into his own hands. After all, wasn't that what a boss was supposed to do?

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **And there we have it, a good chunk of the mystery revealed!

Let me just say this very quickly: I don't intend for this to be angsty, and I'm sorry if it's coming across that way. As a character, I honestly don't want Yuri to be defined by a sob story (which is why I'm trying to cram as much of it as I can into one chapter). I mean for this to be a story of growth and development, mainly Tsuna's, but as a general theme. Through Yuri, Tsuna will be able to take the first step towards becoming and accepting his role as the Vongola boss. As for how, you'll just have to wait and see ;) But for those of you rolling your eyes and going "Oh boy, it's one of _those_"...I assure you the story won't stay this way.

With that said, thank you all for reading and following along, as always! I really appreciate the support, especially since my various health issues have been getting me kind of down lately. I'm excited to be able to post another chapter, and hopefully hear from a lot of you! Until next time, stay happy, healthy, and safe!


	7. Investigations

"This is more difficult than I had expected it to be," Tsuna murmured, pinching the bridge of his nose as he flipped through several pages.

It had been nearly a week since he had learned of Yuri's situation, and though he requested the file from the Ninth on that same day, it had only been delivered to him two days ago. What he thought would be a simple research job, however, turned out to be a sizable list of names and dates – all of which were written in Italian. Sorting through the information alone would have taken days, but he hadn't even taken the need for a translator into consideration. It was clear within a matter of moments that he would need help figuring this one out.

So, he made the decision to share the situation with Reborn and his other two guardians, before requesting three days off from their individual schedules. Even with Reborn, Bianchi, and Gokudera, however – all of whom were fluent in Italian – they were making very little progress.

"There has to be almost one hundred names in here," Gokudera sat back against the window, tossing more papers across the floor as he removed his glasses and pressed his fingers to his strained eyes. All of them were currently using one of the smaller meeting rooms; although they had started out sitting around the wide table, they ended up strewn throughout the room.

"Names, dates, addresses…and only a few of them so far have connected to anything in particular," Bianchi added, setting her pen down and massaging her wrist. She was currently the only one still using a chair. "No matter how much of this we transcribe, it doesn't look like it will mean anything. Whoever is in charge of recording and documenting this has been very careful about omitting necessary information."

"It sounds like we're looking for people who don't want to be found," Yamamoto said from where he was crouching on the far side of the room, doing his best to organize the transcribed pages for Tsuna to look through.

"This is _extremely_ frustrating," Ryohei, of course, was the first to abandon the chairs and had been pacing back and forth for nearly two hours now. "None of this makes any sense!"

"For once, Turf-top's right,"

"What was that, Octopus-head?!"

"Quiet!" Gokudera snapped, turning to face Tsuna. "It doesn't look like this is getting us anywhere, Tenth."

"A-ah…" Running a hand over his face, Tsuna set down what he had of the translated copy and sighed heavily. "It's looking that way."

"So…what do we do next?" Yamamoto asked. "You're not going to just give up are you?"

"…" Clenching his jaw, Tsuna could hear the sound of his teeth grinding against each other through his skull. "I didn't have much of a plan beyond this," He admitted.

"Then it's time to use your brain, Dame-Tsuna," From where he was sitting on the center of the table, Reborn finally chimed in. Leon fluidly transformed from the quill Reborn was writing with back into his natural form and crawled up the hitman's sleeve. "Try using what you already know."

"What I already know…?" It honestly didn't feel like he knew very much, but he at least knew better than to argue against the baby. It wasn't just the fact that doing so would almost certainly invite a great deal of pain, but that Reborn usually knew what he was talking about. The hitman's advice was sound, and if he was willing to offer it like a normal person rather than concocting some ridiculous scenario for Tsuna to blunder through, it should be considered a fortune. "Well…she's a hitman. Does that mean you might know her?"

"I've never seen or heard of her before. She's not a well-known member of our profession. Keep trying."

"Eh…well, she knew Gokudera and Bianchi when they were younger…before she disappeared…" Suddenly, Tsuna remembered something that he had put together the week before. "Wait! You said she disappeared when Gokudera went to join the mafia, right? Gokudera, do you remember that far back?"

"Mostly," The bomber replied, glancing up as he tried to bring up the memory.

"Then logically, she would have gotten herself into a bad situation around there – possibly with the people you talked to?" The bomber's eyes widened, like the possibility hadn't yet occurred to him. "Do you remember any names?"

"Ah, two," His eyes grew dark as he responded, as though an unpleasant memory was resurfacing. "Giordano and Rambaudi." Bianchi immediately grabbed the papers, rifling through the alphabetical list of names.

"Here," She pointed triumphantly. "There's no Giordano, but Rambaudi's right here. There's even an address, and a couple of dates." Glancing up, she gave them a thin smile. "Nothing solid, but at least it's a starting point." The first hopeful words any of them had heard in hours.

"There's one other thing," Yamamoto piped up. "She acted really oddly that one day we ran into each other. Do you think there's something behind that?"

"You're right," Tsuna straightened, suddenly feeling revitalized. "There must be. She wouldn't just explode like that for no reason…" He chewed on his lip for a moment before standing back up. "We've got two leads and two official guides. That's enough to work with. Let's split up and head out," Taking heads into account, he quickly organized them into the best teams he could think of. Tsuna wanted Reborn with him, and considering the recent tension between the siblings, it was probably good to give them some distance as well. "Yamamoto, Onii-san, you two go with Bianchi – see if you can track down this Rambaudi person. Gokudera, you're with me – Reborn, can you get us back to that area?"

"Ah," The baby replied. The smile on his face was reassuring, letting Tsuna know he was doing something right.

"Tenth…" Gokudera's eyes sparkled with pride, no doubt thrilled by the idea of Tsuna acknowledging his position as right hand man.

"Sure thing!" Yamamoto grinned, stretching out his limbs as he stood. "It'll feel nice to walk around after all this!"

"EXTREMELY!" Ryohei agreed, already jogging in place.

"We'll just try to pull together whatever information we can," Tsuna led the way towards the doors. "We'll meet back here in three hours."

* * *

><p>"So, is this the place?" Yamamoto asked as Bianchi stepped back around the corner. "I have to admit, it doesn't look like what I was expecting."<p>

"This should be it," She glanced down at the paper in her hand, double checking the address. "I couldn't find anything out of the ordinary around it, no traps or surveillance cameras...Sasagawa, what about you?"

"It's extremely normal," The boxer replied as he appeared from the other side of the building. The vague look of dejection on his face suggested that he had actually been hoping for a fight.

"Looks like this is just your average apartment building, then," Crumpling the paper, Bianchi tossed it aside and strode towards the house. "Let's head in – you two stay behind me, just in case. Keep your guard up." Approaching the building, she tucked a nice box tied with a ribbon under her arm and knocked on the door. After a moment, it opened up.

"What is it?" A gruff middle aged man stood before her, making sure to keep himself in the doorway so that she wouldn't be able to squeeze past.

"Hello, there," She greeted him with a charming smile. "I have two young men visiting town, and they're in need of housing. I've heard that this is one of the finer buildings in the area and was hoping to discuss their potential tenancy." Hearing this, the man seemed to puff up a little bit, and the door opened slightly.

"You heard right," He nodded proudly. "Why don't you step in, and we can try to work something out." He smiled and offered a hand, dollar signs spinning in his eyes. "The name's Rambaudi, I'm the landlord of this fine place."

"Hm, it's a pleasure to meet you," Bianchi shook his hand firmly and pulled the box out from under her arm as they stepped inside. "I brought a small gift, just to thank you in advance."

"Well, how nice," He chuckled, taking the box. Opening it up, he found two neat rows of simple sugar cookies. "Rather confident, though, don't you think? I can't guarantee anything just yet."

"Oh…" Glancing around, Bianchi smiled darkly. "I'm certain that I'll be getting what I want today."

"I like that attitude," Rambaudi laughed, taking a bite of the confectionary. "But I must warn you, I'm not the feeble-minded type."

"I'm sure."

"Well, go ahead and do your worst. If you'll just step in here and take a seat," Opening another door, Rambaudi invited her into a small office area.

"You two wait out here," She told the boys. "I'll take care of this."

"Will you be alright?" Yamamoto asked, his brow wrinkling in worry.

"This won't take long. I'll be out in a few minutes." There was absolutely no doubt in her words. Her confidence was reassuring, and the boys nodded as they fell back.

"The tenants themselves won't be joining us?" Rambaudi lifted an eyebrow.

"No point," Bianchi brushed by him as she pulled out a seat on the other side of his desk. "They're foreigners; neither would understand a single word."

"I see," Taking his own seat, he leaned forward on the desk and grinned. "Just as well. Neither seems nearly as competent as you. I trust you'll make for a quick and easy deal."

"Yes," Leaning back, Bianchi folded her arms across her torso as she adopted a reserved expression. "I trust _you_ will as well."

"But of course!" A bright grin adorned his features as he began to file through a stack of paperwork. "Let's talk business. I currently have four vacant-" A look of vague discomfort suddenly passed over his face, and he lifted a fist to his mouth as he cleared his throat. "Excuse me," He apologized. "Seem to have a bit of indigestion. In any case, the standard rates are-" Once more, he stopped, but this time he clutched at his stomach and toppled forward in pain.

"Hm…" Leaning forward, Bianchi took his chin in her hand and turned his face towards her, smiling angelically. "Signor Rambaudi…I'm not here for the apartments." Though his face was contorted in pain, his eyes flicked towards the box balanced on the corner of his desk. Following his gaze, Bianchi chuckled. "Oh, those? Just a little concoction of mine…My, how rude of me! I never did introduce myself, did I?" Lowering herself so that she was at eye-level with him, her sweet smile darkened. "My name is Bianchi." His eyes widened.

"P-poison Scorpion…? You…" He groaned once more, pulling his arms tighter around his abdomen as he bitterly spat out, "_Bitch!_" The smile slid off of Bianchi's face. Twisting her fingers through his hair, she propped a knee up on the desk and yanked his head back roughly, forcing him to sit up.

"You've got quite a loose tongue there," She growled. "I'm sure I could cook something up that would burn it off altogether. Wouldn't that be nice?" His eyes widened at the proposition, and he grimaced fearfully. Scowling angrily, she tightened her grip in his hair and pulled his head further back so that he was staring up at her.

"You listen, and you listen well. You have five minutes to tell me _exactly_ what I want to know before the poison burns straight through your stomach – give it another ten minutes, and it'll be in your heart." He began to thrash slightly in panic, but she silenced him with another rough yank. "Well, it looks like you're afraid! Don't worry, signor, I'm certain you'll make for a quick and easy deal; if you give me what I want, you'll get the antidote before your first ulcer appears. Time's ticking, though – I hope you're a fast talker."

* * *

><p>"This place looks so different during the day," Tsuna remarked as he and his companions crossed the main street towards their destination. "It was really lively when we passed by it last time. <em>Was<em> there a festival?"

"It wasn't a festival, dame-Tsuna," Reborn spoke from his shoulder, frowning at the area. "It's a red light district, filled with the type of place Yuri's affiliated with. It's a hub for illegal activity – even with the Vongola to protect them from the law, there are limits to what can and can't be achieved. It's easier to hide in the dark of night." Listening to the explanation, Tsuna felt bile rising in his throat.

"So it isn't as simple as asking for directions to the nearest brothel, eh?" Gokudera grumbled bitterly.

"See the small rose carved into that sign, there?" Reborn pointed towards a wooden sign hanging over a barbershop. "That's the insignia of a bordello in disguise. The street will be riddled with them, but as long as you know what to look for, it will narrow the possibilities down somewhat."

"We'll try them one by one, if we have to." Tsuna said, turning towards the building. "We have three hours – it can't be that difficult."

"Of course, Tenth!" Gokudera agreed. "I'm sure we'll find it in no time!"

As it turned out, the task was a bit more difficult than either of them could have anticipated. Tsuna's face wasn't well known around here, which was both a blessing and a curse. It wouldn't do to have rumors spreading of the Ninth's heir visiting every bordello in the district, but no one was willing to give two teenage foreigners the time of day. Multiple times, they were simply thrown out, and told to come back later, with no answers to show for it.

"Get your hands off the Tenth, you bastard!" Gokudera yelled again as another buff man physically pushed them out of his shop. Thankfully, the bomber spoke Japanese every time, leaving Tsuna's cover intact. Even the milder of the two boys was growing despondent, however, and was beginning to consider risking his title just so they might get somewhere.

"_Scusi, Signors_," A raspy voice sounded right behind Tsuna, making the boy yelp as he spun around. A scruffy man was standing before them, smiling as he asked something in Italian. He was hunched over and wrung his hands out nervously as he spoke, setting the heir on edge. Before Tsuna could ask, Reborn replied, striking up a quick rapport with the strange man.

"Tsuna," Reborn finally said in Japanese. "Give me your wallet."

"E-eh?"

"Do you want to help your friend or not?" The hitman snapped. Grumbling, Tsuna hesitantly fished his wallet from his back pocket and handed it to Reborn; opening it up, the baby pulled out a sizable wad of bills and handed it over to the man.

"_Grazie_," The man thanked him with a toothy smile as he counted the money. The two talked awhile longer, before the man bid them goodbye with a charming little tip of his hat.

"I hope whatever you just found out was worth all that," Tsuna said bitterly as he took his wallet back, feeling that it was considerably lighter.

"It should be," Reborn held back from smacking his student. "He had been watching your progress and was offering a recommendation for a small fee. According to him, there's only one bordello around her that takes clients during daytime hours – it's supposedly the 'best in town'."

"Is it the one we're looking for, though?" Gokudera asked doubtfully.

"I asked if anyone was affiliated with the Vongola," Reborn replied, pulling his fedora over his eyes. "He says a young woman working there fits the description. She's well known around here, apparently, under the pseudonym 'Zita'."

"Zita?" Tsuna tilted his head, trying to hide his grimace.

"…it essentially means 'Little Girl'," Reborn explained hesitantly, making Tsuna's stomach churn.

"How shameless…" Gokudera mumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Well? Where is it, then?"

"It doubles as a café for its disguise," The hitman replied. "_Il Velluto Vigilia_."

"The Velvet Eve…" Gokudera translated absent-mindedly as he scanned the signs of passing stores, giving a triumphant cry as he spotted it. Gritting his teeth, Tsuna opened the door and stepped in. It was a quaint little shop on the outside – small round tables decorated the floor, each draped with cute white tablecloths dotted with red flowers. Each was adorned with a glass vase in the center, a single red rose within. Just to their right, a smiling hostess stood behind a podium with menus in hand.

"_Buon pomeriggio,_" She greeted brightly, smiling to show off a set of blindingly white teeth. As Reborn spoke for them, her expression grew amused, like they were sharing a secret. Judging by the way her innocent act slid away, Tsuna could only assume that Reborn had just cut right to the chase with her. Smirking, she leaned forward in a way that made it look like her arms were merely a frame for her cleavage. Blushing hotly, Tsuna turned his eyes towards the ceiling. Beside him, Gokudera shuffled awkwardly, coughing into his fist every now and then.

When he heard Reborn say "Zita", however, Tsuna brought his eyes back down. The woman simpered quietly for a few seconds before straightening back up with a scoff and said something with a hint of annoyance. Tsuna couldn't understand – but Gokudera could, and the tightness of the bomber's jaw along with the spark of anger in his eye was enough for Tsuna to piece the message together.

Pulling out a heavily bound black planner, the hostess flipped through the pages carelessly as she spoke, gnawing on her thumb nail. After a moment, she slammed it shut and looked at them expectantly. Beside Tsuna's ear, Reborn sighed.

"I told her who you're looking for, but she says to get in line," He explained quietly. "With the weekend approaching, she has a…full schedule. It seems she really is in high demand." Squeezing his hands into fists, Tsuna looked away as Reborn spoke, focusing on the nice looking interior of the café. He didn't want to acknowledge what he was hearing, what he knew was behind the silken curtains that the hostess was stationed in front of. The hitman's words made him feel sick to his stomach. "Tch," Reborn sounded annoyed after a bit more conversation. "She won't give me any information on who owns this place. I'll keep trying to persuade her," He said, leaping from Tsuna's shoulder onto the podium. "You and Gokudera head back, see if you can find anything out."

"E-eh?" Tsuna warily eyed the curtains behind the woman. Taking his gaze to mean interest, she stepped aside and gestured towards it with an impish grin. Gritting his teeth, Tsuna tightened his fists further so that he could feel his nails digging into his palm. With a forced smile of his own, he stepped forward and ducked under the curtains, silently taking comfort in the fact that Gokudera was accompanying him.

Honestly, the sight that greeted him as he stepped back was nothing he hadn't expected, but it was still difficult to stomach. It was as nicely furnished as the café, the floor covered in soft carpeting and the walls lined with long velvet couches. A wet bar sat in the back, currently unmanned, while decorative paintings and ornaments hung over their heads. Everything from the walls to the seats complimented each other, the entire room a palette of warm red hues. Five or six women were lounging around, stretched out on the couches as they smoked and chatted quietly with each other. None of them wore very much at all, and it took all of Tsuna's self-control not to turn tail and run right back out.

Catching sight of them, the women didn't look very impressed, but threw on wide welcoming smiles. The brunette sitting nearest to them stood to greet them, draping her fingers over their shoulders as she spoke. Her voice was low and inviting, but her touch made Tsuna's skin crawl. Gokudera was more composed, and jumped right into the conversation, making it immediately clear that they were looking for "Zita". She frowned at this, rolling her eyes as she stepped back and crossed her arms. Pursing her lips, her eyes flicked towards the staircase behind her briefly before she began attempting to sway his decision.

"Tenth," Gokudera muttered in Japanese. "You go ahead – she must be up there. I'll deal with this."

"Are you sure?" Tsuna asked, more because he didn't want to move on without the bomber than that he didn't think Gokudera could handle himself.

"I'll be fine, Tenth," He replied reassuringly, staring at the arguing woman before him with disdain. "See if you can find anything that might have the owner's name."

"…A-alright…" Gulping, Tsuna made his way towards the staircase, climbing the steps as quickly as he could. When he glanced down, he could see the other women staring at him with a hint of contempt, but they did nothing to try and stop him. Thankfully, when he reached the top, there was no mob of scantily-clad women waiting to ambush him. He faced a long hallway with several doors to either side, each one cracked open. Soft piano music drifted through the air, and there were far more windows up here than below, making it less ominous – the colors ranged more towards yellows and oranges as well, giving it a bright childish feeling. Swallowing, Tsuna nervously made his way down the hall.

It felt odd and wrong, just peeking into the rooms without permission. Many were occupied by one or two women, and none of them ever seemed bothered by his intrusion. On one hand, this place seemed to have a very open atmosphere…inviting, friendly. On the other hand, all he could see was a blatant denial of privacy and individuality. It was sickening. The whole place made him sick, and his stomach churned more and more violently with each door that he passed. Finally, he reached the end of the hall, with nothing to show for it. There weren't any plaques on the wall proudly displaying the building owner's name, there were no photos, no paintings, nothing. The entire establishment was completely devoid of any one person's identity. However, he did recognize the figure in this final room, where the music was coming from.

Yuri was curled up on a small couch, fast asleep, a small radio sitting by her head. Sunlight streamed in from the window directly above her, bringing various details into focus. She was tangled up in a heavy blanket, wrapped up and almost completely hidden, like a cocoon. There were dark circles under her eyes, and a thin sheen of sweat made her hair stick to her forehead and neck. She looked small and exhausted, just a withered husk of the girl he thought he knew. It looked as though the blankets might swallow her up at any second, leaving no evidence that she had ever existed.

"Please don't," Tsuna jumped as he absently began to push the door further open. Turning around, he saw another woman standing behind him with a sad expression on her face. "She's just a child. She shouldn't even be here. At least allow her to rest."

"Y-you're Japanese?" Tsuna asked in surprise. She gave him a quizzical look.

"It's not unusual for a place like this," She explained slowly. "Those of an Asian ethnicity are seen as exotic – this line of work has a high demand for them. For many immigrants, it can literally be the only option besides starving in the streets."

"I see…" Tsuna replied, clenching his jaw as he stared at the floor, feeling frustrated and helpless. "Do you…take care of her?" He asked, gesturing towards Yuri.

"As well as I can," The woman replied with narrowed eyes. "It's a cruel business. Her popularity earns the jealousy of other workers – in their eyes, she's stealing their wages. I can't just stand aside and ignore it, though. What our manager forces her to do is wrong."

"It is," Tsuna stepped forward, feeling a glimmer of hope for the first time. "Listen, I'm not a…customer. I'm her friend, and I'm trying to he-"

"Tenth!" Gokudera interrupted as he sprinted up the stairs. "Is that woman harassing you?" Irritation was plastered all over his face, and he looked prepared to throw the woman out one of the windows.

"No, Gokudera, she's fine!"

"…What?" The bomber looked doubtful as he approached. "Are you su-?" His gaze drifted to the room behind them, falling on Yuri's pathetically frail form within.

"I won't repeat myself," The Japanese woman took advantage of the silence to speak up. "She's not working a shift right now. Step away from the door and let her rest." She didn't have to tell them twice.

"Should we close the door?" Tsuna asked as they began walking back up the hall.

"It's not allowed," She replied. "Leave it. What were you saying just now, about being her friend?" Glancing over her shoulder, she gave them a suspicious look as they came to a stop near the edge of the staircase. "What are you here for?"

"We're just trying to help her," Tsuna explained, staring at her pleadingly. "Can you help us?"

"…" She still didn't look like she completely trusted them, but she was willing. "What do you need?"

"We're just trying to find out how she got into this situation. If you have any names, addresses, anything…?"

"I don't have access to anything like that. I can give you our manager's name, though – Benussi. I don't know where he lives, but I know he spends a lot of time in a bar down by the train station."

"That's enough," Gokudera said, glancing over at his boss for a second opinion.

"Yes, it should be. Thank you very much!" He called out as they started running back down the stairs. Looking over the banister, she nodded once before disappearing. "Let's get out of here quickly, Gokudera."

"Right away, Tenth!"

* * *

><p>"This is the only bar she could have meant," Reborn said as they approached the run down establishment. "We only have about half an hour before we're supposed to regroup. You two wait outside this time – I'll take care of this myself."<p>

"Y…yourself?" Tsuna was incredulous. The hitman never handled things directly, especially not if it was Tsuna's own business.

"Ah. This is a rough place," Reborn leapt off of his shoulder, taking Leon from the brim of his hat. "I don't want any unfortunate accidents happening. Stay here."

"A-ah…" Tsuna looked worried as the baby strode confidently towards the doors. "Will he be alright?"

"I'm certain he will, Tenth!" Gokudera replied confidently.

The moment he stepped foot inside, Reborn's sheer presence brought nearly all the activity to a halt as the door slammed shut behind him.

"Well, look who it is," The bartender was the first to speak up, setting down an empty glass and rag. "Finally decided to grace us with your presence, eh?"

"Just passing through," The hitman responded as he hopped up onto the countertop.

"It's been a while. The old man still got you babysitting that kid?"

"I don't baby my students," Reborn replied seriously, drawing a hearty laugh from the other.

"Ah, nice to have you back. What can I get you?" The bartender grinned as the other occupants began to return to their individual conversations, their attention finally falling away from the hitman. "It's on the house."

"No thanks," Reborn declined. "I'm here on business. I'm looking for a Benussi."

"Right back there, in the corner," Picking the rag back up, the bartender started cleaning the next glass. "Can't say I'm surprised – a guy like him hanging around this kind of place, I thought he would have been long gone by now."

"Thanks," Reborn said with a nod as he hopped back off of the counter and walked towards his target. He could see what the bartender meant. Benussi was a young guy, blonde and upstanding, dressed in a high quality tailored suit with his hair gelled back. He sat with a cigar in one hand and a glass of scotch in the other, sitting in the back so he could look over the other customers with a hypercritical eye. If it weren't for the type of business he offered, Reborn assumed he would have been a smear on the side of the street by now.

"I must admit, I was surprised to see you walking over here," Benussi said as Reborn leapt onto his table. "You struck me as the kind of guy that just eats, shoots, and leaves."

"Funny," Reborn smirked. "You struck me as the kind of guy that wouldn't last five minutes in a joint like this. What's your secret?"

"I can be persuasive." Lifting the cigar to his lips, Benussi took a long drag and exhaled through his nose, making the hitman frown as he was enveloped in a cloud of smoke. "I have some unique resources at my disposal, you could say."

"Evidently, that's what I'm here to talk about. I need to know about one of your girls in particular – Yuriko."

"Never heard of her," Benussi replied, stubbing out the cigar in the ashtray. His response had been quick…too quick.

"That's unfortunate," Reborn said, Leon transforming into a gun in his hand as he lifted the barrel to the man's forehead. "Maybe this will jog your memory."

"Whoa, easy," The cigar fell from his fingers as Benussi lifted his hands into the air. "Look, I can't just go around giving out information for free. This stuff gives me immunity around here, you know?"

"Does it make you immune to bullets?" The man gulped as Reborn cocked the hammer, solely for the effect of that intimidating little _click!_ Any modern day Mafioso would know that it was an ultimately redundant move, but Benussi began to squirm in his seat – he wasn't a mafia member. It would be easy to just intimidate the information out of him.

"Hey, look, she was just sold to me, alright? She brings me good business, I don't know anything about her or where she came from!"

"Who sold her to you?"

"I-I can't tell you that!" He squeaked. Deepening his frown, Reborn grabbed his tie and pulled him down so that his chin cracked against the table.

"This investigation is being conducted by the Vongola. This is a direct order from the Ninth's heir – you understand what that means, right?" Reborn pressed the gun against Benussi's jaw, forcing a whimper out of the other man. "If you don't comply, you'll be facing much worse than me."

"…A-alright, alright, I'll tell you! Giordano, his name's Arturo Giordano! That's all I've got, I swear!" Chuckling, Reborn released him as Leon transformed back.

"It's been a pleasure doing business with you, Benussi. I'm sure we'll be seeing you again soon."

* * *

><p>"Okay," Bianchi sighed, staring up at the small but elegant estate. "Let's hope this is our final stop."<p>

"It better be," Gokudera growled. "I'm tired of this wild goose chase."

When they regrouped, they discovered Bianchi had acquired a list of affiliates from Rambaudi, along with their personal addresses. With Reborn having acquired a single name, it was a simple matter of narrowing down the options and singling out his name and residence.

"Do all the people in the mafia have such nice houses?" Tsuna asked as they knocked.

"Only the pretentious ones," Reborn replied with disdain.

"He's rather ostentatious," Bianchi frowned as a butler invited them in wordlessly. Reborn and Ryohei stayed outside to keep a cautionary eye out for any suspicious activity while the others stepped in, finding a sophisticated party. Women in long gowns walked about with glasses of champagne, draping themselves over the men as they struck up small conversation. "It seems this one is a bit of a playboy."

"It's…easier to handle than the brothel." Tsuna said with a strained chuckle.

"What?" Yamamoto asked in surprise. "You went in?"

"A-ah," Tsuna replied, cheeks growing hot. "It's how we found our first informant."

"Are you okay?" The swordsman looked concerned, so Tsuna tried to smile reassuringly.

"It's fine, we weren't there for long." Glancing down, his smile faded. "I can't possibly let Yuri stay there, though. Not after seeing it."

"Don't worry," Yamamoto grinned. "We'll get her out." Finding his optimistic personality infectious, Tsuna smiled back at him.

"Yeah," He agreed.

"Come on," Gokudera gestured at them to follow his sister's lead. "She found him."

A servant led them to a corner of the foyer, where the lighting was low and a heavyset man lounged on the couch with a woman under each arm.

"Well," He grinned widely at them. "I know my parties are alluring, but I honestly didn't expect _the_ Poison Scorpion to grace my humble abode with her presence. Please, sit," He gestured at the plush seats around the table. "Interesting little friends you have here. Japanese, if I'm not mistaken – I am speaking the correct language, right? Are you planning to show them a good time?"

"I don't want you to have any delusions about why I'm here," She scowled and made no move to sit. "We have questions that need answering."

"So serious," Giordano smiled coyly. "Why don't you all grab a drink and loosen up a bit?"

"There's a girl that you sold to Benussi," Bianchi ignored him. "Explain that."

"I can't begin to say," He shrugged, lifting a champagne flute to his lips and taking a sip of the bubbling liquid. "I sell him a lot of his girls. He gets good business, I get benefits – it's a mutually beneficial exchange." Growling, Gokudera stepped forward and grabbed him by the collar. The women under his arms squealed and ducked away, but Giordano's expression remained calm, if not slightly irritated.

"You call trading a child's life 'mutually beneficial'?" Gokudera spat. Lifting a hand, the man wiped stray drops of saliva from his cheek and gave the bomber a strange look.

"I remember you," He murmured. "You're that snot-nosed little half breed that was so desperate to get into the mafia." Hot rage flashed across Gokudera's face at the words while Giordano pried his shirt free from the boy's trembling hands. "You know, you should be thanking me instead of throwing a temper tantrum. If I hadn't felt so damn sorry for you, you would still be sitting on your ass out on the street. Don't make me regret pulling those strings to get you in. Why don't you say 'thank you, sir', hm?"

"Shut the hell up," The bomber growled. "What did you do to the girl?"

"Ah yes, little Yuriko," He leaned back and smiled contentedly. "It's a bit of a story. I do wish you four would sit down." None of them made a move to take a seat, simply staring at him with disdain. "No? Well, alright then. I'm just trying to be a good host." He dipped his head as if to bow and took another sip of champagne. "Anyways, yes, your little servant girl came running out when I sent you on your way. Apparently she had been tailing you – did you know that? Yes? No? Alright, well, whatever. In any case, we thought she was some spy another family had sent, so we just grabbed her and took her along for the ride. Imagine my surprise when I realized she had just been trying to get you to go home!" He laughed loudly, like it as the funniest thing he had ever heard. "A brat like you had such a cute little girl chasing after him? I can hardly believe it to this day!"

"If you knew who she was, then why didn't you return her?" Bianchi interrupted, her voice dangerously low.

"Are you kidding me?" Still chuckling, he threw back the last of his alcohol and set the glass aside. "You know, Eurasian girls are regarded as particularly beautiful by many people. There's something about that mixture that makes them feel exotic but still familiar – men, in particular, are quite fond of the look. I knew she would fetch me a pretty penny with a guy like Benussi; there was no way I was letting a chance like that slip by. And she was well worth it," He smiled broadly, like he was recalling a pleasant memory. "Benussi was practically begging on the ground when I made the offer, he went ahead and made me his business partner!"

"You're a pig." Bianchi hissed, her fists trembling with anger. "I should kill you right here."

"Wait," Tsuna spoke up, though he felt dangerously close to committing his first murder himself. "What about her other job? How did that happen?"

"Hm? Oh," The man grinned, looking disturbingly pleased with himself. "After a few years, she started begging me to let her go. 'Please, please, I can't do this anymore, I can't live this way.'" He raised the pitch of his voice, mimicking her pleads. "I had never seen a person so desperate – outside of an interrogation, of course. Torture does such interesting things to a person's head…ah, but I digress. Yes, I decided to give her a deal – I would allow her to receive some proper training as a hitman." Closing his eyes, he held up a finger, as though he were quoting fine literature. "You see, I'm a very busy man, so I gave her a copy of my own hit list. She would report directly to me if I needed a job done – I told her, once she had completed one hundred jobs, she was free to go." Opening his eyes, a devilish grin spread across his face. "I never thought she'd actually agree to such terms. I've never regretted the decision, either. She does her job so well…who would have thought such a pretty face could hide a natural talent for killing in cold blood?" He leaned forward and winked at Bianchi. "Then again, it doesn't seem to be a rare phenomenon. Shame I couldn't get my hands on a beauty like you."

"You're a monster," She herself looked like a feral animal. Behind her, Gokudera and Yamamoto looked shell shocked, unable to move or speak. With Yamamoto's personality, Tsuna wouldn't be surprised if the story had felt like a slap in the face to him. To have such a harsh reality thrown right into his face when he was usually so naïve…it had to be a difficult pill to swallow. Gokudera, on the other hand, wouldn't usually be so easy to faze…Tsuna wondered, sadly, if the boy blamed himself for Yuri's predicament.

"Let her go." Tsuna demanded, keeping his voice level. A murderous rage smoldered in his eyes, threatening to be unleashed, but he fought to maintain his composure. "You can't just keep her like some sort of slave."

"Hmm," Giordano hummed, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "I can, actually."

"This is sick, disgusting, and illegal." Tsuna stepped closer, almost able to feel his flame threatening to burst to life within him. "One word to the officials could destroy everything you've built up for yourself here."

"Ah ah ah," The man shook his finger in Tsuna's face, as though he were scolding a child. "I assume you think your words carry weight just because you're the Ninth's precious heir? Well, Vongola Decimo, allow me to be the first that will teach you how laws work within the mafia." Tsuna's brow wrinkled in confusion. Glancing behind him to look at Bianchi, she just shook her head. "Oh don't feel bad for not knowing this; I understand you're still very new to all of this. Come on, sit!" Scooting over, he patted the spot beside him eagerly. When Tsuna still refused to move, he rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, you've been standing there like a wooden post for far too long. Just take a seat, and I'll tell you exactly _why_ you're powerless in this situation."

"Make it quick." Tsuna grit his teeth as he sat stiffly, only growing more rigid as the man threw an arm across his shoulders.

"There's a good boy. Now, let me ask you this – how much of the mafia do you think is legal?" With a drunken giggle, he pulled Tsuna close, in a strange sort of hug. "That's right, none! Business operates solely on black market legalities in this twisted world of ours, and according to those legalities, the girl. Belongs. To. Me." With each word, he tapped Tsuna on the nose. "You wouldn't dare bring the matter to the _police_, silly boy, because that creates an opening for them. Once the law starts poking around in our business, there is always a risk of them finding gaining a bit of leverage against us, and that just won't do! As the boss, you're expected to _protect_ your family – every dark, dirty corner of it. Taking this to the 'officials'," He snorted at the word. "Is considered an act of treason against us, heir or not."

"We, us, our – you keep talking like you're one of us. I don't need the police. The Ninth is powerful enough. You're a criminal, and you'll never be a member of this family."

"Oh, funny you should bring that up, I was just about to get into that!" Giordano exclaimed gaily. "The Ninth is powerful where the _Vongola_ is concerned, and you see, I _am_ a member of this family. The girl, on the other hand, is not."

"What do you mean?" Tsuna asked, glaring daggers at him.

"The only reason there's a file on her in the office is because she's doing Vongola work. That file is nothing more than a quick biography and then a list of names – those are the people she's taken out for me. It's those names that hold any significance within that office, not her. See, officially, she's like a freelance worker. I hire her, she does the work, but she holds no affiliation with anyone – including the Vongola. And the Ninth is powerless in matters outside of his own jurisdiction. Make sense?" He donned an amused expression as Tsuna began to lose his composure. "Oh, am I making the heir frustrated? I'm afraid you'll have to get used to that feeling, kid."

"_Let her go._" Tsuna demanded, grabbing him by the collar just as Gokudera had.

"Well, now that that's all cleared up," Giordano finally adopted a serious expression, lifting his hand into the air. Seeing the signal, several suited figures began making their way towards them from various areas on the floor. "I think you've overstayed your welcome."

"No, _no,_" Surrounding them, the men grabbed them and began to force them towards the entrance despite their struggling. "_LET HER GO! YOU SICK BASTARD, I SWEAR I WILL RUIN YOU!_" Tsuna screamed, kicking and yelling as he was pulled along. "_YOU'RE DISGUSTING! I'LL NEVER FORGIVE THIS!_"

"You have a good evening as well, Decimo! This was fun!" Giordano smiled, lifting his glass. "Cheers!" With an anguished yell, Tsuna's fists met the heavy wooden doors as they were literally slammed in his face, locking them out.

"What happened, Tsuna?" Reborn asked, but Tsuna ignored him and continued pounding his fists against the door.

"You _coward_!" He continued screaming even as his voice grew hoarse. "_OPEN THE DOOR!_"

"…Shit." Gokudera cursed quietly, turning away from the sight and kicking a rock as far as he could.

"You know, it's not your fault," Yamamoto placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, but the Bomber simply pushed it off and said nothing, leaving the swordsman to stare at him sadly.

"Onii-san, _get this door open_." Tsuna demanded as he finally stopped his own onslaught, panting heavily as the blood from his knuckles dripped onto the concrete.

"Oi, Sawada, that's extremely stupid," The boxer chastised, taking the boy's hand to examine the damage. "Throwing punches without any wraps will just break your hands."

"I don't care, I want that door open-!"

"It's over, Tsuna!" Bianchi snapped, even though she was fuming quietly herself, arms crossed tightly across her chest. "There's nothing to be gained. Not here. Not with _him_." Tsuna looked ready to turn his anger onto her, but with each deep breath he took, his shoulders sagged a little further until he was simply staring at the ground in defeat.

"So, what's next, then?" Yamamoto asked tiredly. Even he wasn't able to inject an ounce of optimism into the situation.

"I don't know," Tsuna muttered, running his hand over his face. "But I know I'm not ready to give up. Let's go back and get another plan together. I don't care what it takes, I won't let this continue under _any_ circumstances."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Oh boy. That was both fun and a bit horrible to write. It's always hard trying to write intense scenes - the pictures in your head don't always want to become words. I actually took it back down to rework a few scenes, since I wasn't too happy with the first (or second, or third) draft, agh. I've been editing this for so long I think I've gotten too close to it and can't really tell any more, so I'd appreciate some feedback on how it comes across. In any case, I hope you've all had a lovely weekend, and as always, thank you for the support!


	8. Difficult Decisions

"Are you sure this was a good idea?" The noise level wasn't loud enough to necessitate yelling, but Yamamoto still had to raise his voice in order to make himself heard.

"It seemed like one at the time…" Tsuna frowned. The swordsman's concern wasn't without foundation. "I couldn't think of anything else."

"This is _extremely_ uncomfortable." Ryohei chimed in, shifting uncomfortably as a couple of cheering men pushed by him.

"I know, I'm sorry," Tsuna apologized frantically. "I honestly hadn't expected this."

After the meeting with Giordano, Tsuna had been in a continuous state of agitation, barely able to function properly. After several consecutive nights of poor sleep, he finally decided to try for the brothel again, only this time it would be during the evening hours. Since the last thing they needed was to draw attention to themselves, and both Bianchi and Reborn stuck out like sore thumbs in that crowd, neither of them were accompanying the boys this evening.

_It'll be fine_, Tsuna had convinced himself. It was awkward and uncomfortable, but if his previous visit served as any indication, they could handle it. If it was busy, all the better – they would just blend in with the crowd, avoid the workers, and focus on trying to find additional information. And it was busy alright. In fact, it was chaotic. The innocent café façade did little to conceal the loud music and cheering from within. A quick peek behind the curtains revealed the reason for such activity.

During their first visit, Tsuna had failed to notice a moderately sized stage in the back of the room, a metal pole running vertically up to the ceiling right in the center of the platform. It was impossible to miss now, with all the lights focused on it, as well as all the eyes of the clients. A handful of women were apparently in charge of more 'innocent' forms of entertainment, showing off their various talents. There was dancing, there was singing, there was even a pair of women with a background in gymnastics. It would have looked like a perfectly normal talent show, if all the contestants weren't clad in lingerie. Tsuna was hardly an expert on brothels, but he was fairly sure this wasn't typical for such establishments.

"It seems this…show is part of what makes The Velvet Eve so famous," Gokudera confirmed, returning to them after he had left to glean some information off of inebriated individuals. Being the only one out of the four that was fluent in Italian, they were relying solely on his abilities. On the one hand, Tsuna felt guilty for placing so much responsibility on the boy without taking an ounce for himself. At the same time, at least the bomber had _something_ distracting to do. The other three had done nothing but stand around awkwardly, flinching whenever someone so much as brushed up against them. "I guess it's pretty unique."

"That's one way to put it." Tsuna rubbed his palms up and down his arms, like he felt the need to get something dirty off. "Have you managed to find anything else out?"

"I've been trying, but there aren't many good sources of information," Gokudera ran his fingers through his hair in exasperation, looking down in shame. "I'm sorry, Tenth."

"No, it's okay," Tsuna sighed. "It was a long shot anyways."

"Hey, I'm sure we'll come up with something!" Yamamoto broke in optimistically, but Tsuna was only able to give him a watery smile.

"I guess we should probably go, then-"

"It's you." A new voice suddenly interrupted as they turned towards the exit. Glancing over his shoulder, Tsuna's eyes widened as he recognized the Japanese worker from before. She looked different now, with her hair done up and makeup caked onto her face, but she wasn't difficult to recognize. "Are you here to take the child?"

"Oh, um…" Rubbing the back of his neck, Tsuna glanced up at the ceiling. "I'd like to. I really would, but…"

"…I understand. The men that own her are impossible to reason with." As he looked back down, he was surprised to find that she didn't look as angry as he had been expecting her to. "It's a sad fact, isn't it?" She glanced down, as though the words she spoke held too much weight for her to handle. "It's a grim day when you realize there are people like that living on the same planet as you, and there's not a thing you can do to stop them. It takes strength to gain power, after all, and the sickest of minds are unfortunately also the strongest. People like that know how to manipulate the world to their whims, quietly destroying everything behind the scenes, gaining more strength and more power until you finally notice…but by then, what can you do? It's too late, and no matter how hard you push, they will always be able to push back harder and stronger, because unlike you, they don't care who gets hurt in their wild scramble for power. When all is said and done, good will never triumph over evil." Slowly, she lifted her eyes back up to meet his, silently daring him to question her words. "Don't you agree?"

"…" If her aim had been to shock the boys into silence, she had succeeded. Everything she said held a dark, heavy weight. It wasn't difficult to discern that she had experienced such a scenario personally, and that it had hurled her into a very bleak part of her life. Rage and bitter resentment lay behind her eyes, carefully controlled and barely contained by a dense layer of apathy. She had fought her battle already, she had lost, and she had given up hope.

Rather than instilling the same sense of hopelessness in Tsuna, though, she had reignited his flame – the flame that burned brightly whenever his friends needed him, whenever he needed to protect those that were dear to him, whenever he needed to _act_ like the Vongola Decimo. Suddenly, rather than feeling downtrodden and on the verge of giving up, he was more determined than ever. Eyes ablaze, his gaze sat unwavering as he told her, "No. I don't agree with that at all."

"Then prove me wrong." She stepped forward as she spoke, lips twisting into a deep scowl as she loomed over him. "You said you would help her. So _help her_."

"I…" The woman was quite the actress, Tsuna realized. She had manipulated him like puppeteer, turning his attitude around with a snap of her fingers. Part of him wanted to get angry, to feel invaded, violated…but all he could feel was grateful. "I will. I promise."

"Oi, Sawada," Ryohei nudged him gently with his elbow. "Isn't that her?"

"What do you mean-?" Tsuna was confused, until he realized the boxer was jutting his head in another direction, drawing their attention across the room. "Oh."

A few yards away from the stage, sticking close to the walls and under the shadows, was Yuri. It was hard to believe it was her, wearing what looked to be a corset-like maroon leotard over a pair of opaque black tights, her feet clad in heels so tall it was difficult to understand how she was even standing upright. Silky cloth clung to her arms, covering every inch of skin from her wrists to her upper arms so that the pale skin of her shoulders and neck stood out like a neon sign against the dark colors of her clothes. It was a sultry and seductive costume – she could have looked beautiful if she didn't look so completely disgusted, so sickened by her own skin and the clothes that adorned it.

A customer was standing in front of her, blocking her way by bracing himself against the wall as he grinned down at her. His eyes had the look of a wolf staring at its prey, a look that made Tsuna's skin crawl. No matter how many times the girl shook her head and tried to duck or dodge around him, he cornered her again, keeping her sandwiched between either him and the crowd or a wall. There was no easy way for her to get away.

"She made an arrangement with our manager several months ago," The Japanese woman spoke up again. "She asked to become one of the performers, even though the idea revolted her."

"Why?" Gokudera asked in a tone that suggested he thought the concept was moronic.

"The only talents she could offer were singing, and dancing. We have more than enough singers, and dancing usually involves that pole. She even has quite a talent for it, actually, but the thought of getting up in front of so many leering-"

"You don't think I can figure that much out myself?" The bomber interrupted coarsely. "I meant why would she make that arrangement?"

"The performers are relieved of the obligation to take clients for the duration of the evening whenever they have a show scheduled. Ideally, she shouldn't be harassed by anyone on such nights, but that rarely stops the customers."

She was challenging them again. After spending more than five minutes with her, it was clear to Tsuna that this was how she controlled others, pulling the strings like they were marionettes. 'Puppeteer' really was the best term to describe her with. Her otherwise harmless words were a quiet dare for them to take action – a dare that a certain hotheaded bomber wouldn't be able to resist. As they watched the man trap Yuri once more, this time by grabbing her firmly and shoving her back against the wall, Gokudera let out a low irritated growl. Before any of the boys could react, he was stomping towards the pair, shoving his way through the crowd.

"Ah, w-wait, Gokudera-!" Tsuna yelled, trying to stop the storm guardian. As much as he wanted to step into the situation himself, Tsuna knew starting a fight in such a crowded scene could only bring trouble. "Gokudera!" It was no use; the path that the bomber carved out for himself closed seamlessly right behind him, leaving a near impenetrable wall of people for Tsuna to fight through. "Gokudera, _stop_!"

He would not stop. He couldn't even hear Tsuna's voice over the roar of the crowd and his own anger. He would not stop, and in less than a second he had the man turned around with a fist buried in his nose.

The area around them grew still almost immediately, a space clearing around the pair as soon as the punch had been thrown. The man had his hands pressed to his face, blood flowing freely from his nose as he bellowed angrily in Italian, and Tsuna cursed under his breath as he was suddenly left with no crowd to fight through. The damage had been done, now it was all just a matter of how quickly they could fix-

"Oh no…" Tsuna muttered. No, now it was a matter of whether or not they could fix the situation at all. Directly behind the screaming Italian, Yuri was staring at them in horror. Her eyes were wider than saucers, her jaw clenched so tightly Tsuna was able to see the muscles trembling even from this distance. Taking several steps forward, he placed his hand on Gokudera's shoulder, holding the bomber back from furthering the attack and drawing his attention towards the girl.

The moment they all made eye contact, something seemed to snap within her. In the time it took to take another step toward her, one of her shoes went flying over their heads, barely missing as they both ducked to avoid a painful collision.

"Y-Yuri-" Tsuna tried talking, but found himself lost for words as he noticed the tears threatening to spill over her cheeks if she so much as blinked.

"Why are you here?" She asked. "You shouldn't be here, you can't…why…" Her voice was shaky and soft, the words not aimed at them. She was quietly begging, pleading, muttering to herself as she worked desperately to pry the other shoe from her foot.

"Yuri, just…calm down, I can explain-"

"_Get out!_" Her voice came out as a strangled sob as the other shoe sailed through the air, even closer to their heads than the first. She wasn't actively trying to hurt them, but she certainly wasn't trying very hard not to. The projectiles were little more than a distraction, which she took advantage of as she turned and ran straight for the nearest exit.

"Oi!" Gokudera yelled after her, far more irritated now that one of the shoes had left a long shallow scratch along his cheek. "Damn it, woman!"

"W-wait!" Tsuna suddenly found himself torn as the bomber decided to follow her. He couldn't see that interaction going well in any way, but he had an angry Italian with a broken nose now deciding to pick his own fight. "Ahh, I don't suppose you speak Japanese too, by any chance?" Tsuna muttered with a nervous smile, bracing himself as the man moved to hit him.

"That's something I _extremely_ can't let you do!" Jumping in front of Tsuna, Ryohei sent the man reeling backwards with a quick jab of his own.

"Go, Tsuna," Yamamoto joined them, widening his stance and lifting his fingers to the hilt of his sword as several others began to grow braver, eager to join a potential fight. "We'll handle this."

"I can't leave you here with this," Tsuna protested, even though he kept glancing over his shoulder towards the exit. He couldn't see either Yuri or Gokudera anymore – if he waited much longer, they would be impossible to catch up to. The girl had clearly been on the verge of hysterics, and regardless of how much history they might have, Gokudera was _not_ the right person to speak to her at the moment.

"Go," The Japanese woman said as she strode past him, towards the commotion. He could see her lifting the hem of her skirt, reaching for a number of blades tucked away in her garter belt. It suddenly occurred to Tsuna that the circumstances which led her to them may have been a bit too coincidental. "You swore you would help her just moments ago, didn't you?"

Tsuna had dozens of questions swarming through his head, but it was hardly the time to be wondering who this mysterious woman was. Gritting his teeth, he yelled over his shoulder as he ran towards the exit, "I'll leave it in your hands!"

Running out of the brothel felt like jumping into a cold pool, the night unusually frigid and windy. Ignoring the sudden shivers that seized his muscles, Tsuna scanned the area around him frantically, breathing out a small sigh of relief as he caught sight of Gokudera still running down the street.

Even though she was barefoot, Yuri was doing a surprisingly good job of eluding capture, though Tsuna could see the bomber was slowly catching up to her. With the amount of adrenalin that was pumping through his veins, Tsuna didn't even think twice as he set himself to chasing after them. Under any other circumstances, it would have been nearly impossible to catch up to the pair, but Gokudera's yells were growing more and more clear as they ran. He was gaining on her, and as she came within arm's reach, the bomber lifted his hand in an attempt to grab her by the shoulder.

Tsuna came to a dead stop, jaw dropping in shock as the girl whirled around, her fist cracking across Gokudera's face. He stumbled back several steps, pressing his palm to his bruising cheek as he openly attempted to clear his vision of stars.

Yuri had an athletic figure – she was tall, with narrow hips and wide shoulders, and every muscle on her body was clearly toned. She certainly didn't look like the delicate, small flower that a girl was often expected to be, but that came with one clear advantage: she had a mean left hook. There was a moment of silence as the two boys simply stood motionless, too surprised to think of something to say while she stood panting in front of them.

"_What?_" She spit the word out, bitterly, accusingly. "What do you _want_ from me?"

"I…" The bomber focused on wiping the trickle of blood from his mouth, using it as a chance to avert his gaze. There was something unbearably raw in the way she was staring at them, like she had finally lowered all of her walls and shields. The real Yuriko was standing before them, and it was an image so broken that it was painful to look at. It was as though she were made of glass – the further she broke the sharper she grew. "I get it, alright? We talked to that bastard Giordano, and-"

"You did _what_?" She hissed, fingers curling more tightly into fists.

"He explained. He explained everything," Tsuna hesitantly spoke up, wary of her body language. Something told him she didn't regret punching Gokudera, and she wouldn't hesitate to lash out again. "Why didn't you just…tell us what-?"

"Why should I? What good would that have done?" She snapped once more, taking small steps backwards. "Even if I told you, what can you do about it?"

"You'd better watch your mouth…" Gokudera growled out in a warning tone. He would never tolerate a single bad word about his boss, regardless of who it was coming from.

"_Am I wrong?!_" Yuri yelled, her voice suddenly climbing in volume. "Tell me, what can you do? What's your plan? How are you going to save me?" Neither boy had an answer for her. "So you just decided to come here and stumble around, hoping to be some kind of knight in shining armor. I've been struggling here for years, trying to get myself out for _years_. The fact that I couldn't help myself means nothing to you, though, does it? In your eyes, that's what's _supposed_ to happen – we haven't really found a solution until _you_ give it a try, until _you_ come in to save the day."

"That's not-"

"Did it ever occur to you that _I didn't ask for your help_?" She screamed, cutting off the protest. "Maybe, just maybe, you should try minding your own business! Did it ever occur to you that I didn't tell you for a _reason_, and that you might actually try to respect that?" She paused for a moment, giving them a chance to speak, but neither could think of a way to respond quickly enough. "No! Of course you didn't! No matter what, I _must_ be asking for help, isn't that right? My tortured existence alone is a pathetic cry for help that you _must_ answer!"

"You're here because of me," Gokudera suddenly stepped forward, grabbing her roughly by the arm. "I'm trying to fix my own mistakes, isn't that enough of a reason?" Every time she struggled, he simply jostled her harder, as though he could shake his words into her skull. "I did this, and it's hurt the Tenth, so I need to take responsibility!"

"Responsibility?" She glared at him, planting her palms against his chest as she forced him away, wrenching herself out of his grip. "What do you know about responsibility? You _ran away_. Tenth, Tenth, Tenth…that boy is the first time I've ever seen you do anything for anyone other than yourself!" The harshness of her words was enough to make him let go.

"The Tenth…has made me a better person…" The bomber muttered, staring at the ground. "If you would just let us, let _me_-"

Shaking her head, Yuri took several steps back, flinging her arms out to her sides. "Look at me! _Look at me!_" Her face grew red and her features twisted as she fought to control her emotions, her anger along with her anguish. "What do you want me to say? 'You did this to me'? Fine! _You_ did this. I'm here because of _you_. Is that what you want to hear from me?"

"You are just…" Gokudera growled, hands clenching into fists as he fought to suppress his own anger and frustration. "I never asked you to follow me!"

"Your father was worried, your sister was worried, everyone was worried," Her eyes squeezed shut as she screamed the words. "Worried about _you_! You were always careless and reckless-!"

"But what did that have to do with you?" Gokudera snapped back harshly. "What made that your business?"

"…" With the conversation escalating like it had been, the sudden silence felt deafening as Yuri stared at him, her lips pressed into a thin line. She didn't look angry anymore, nor did she look bitter or resentful. She had the wide-eyed stare of a person that had been shocked into silence, slapped across the face. Tsuna couldn't understand it, but he felt like he could see her heart breaking.

"Well, forgive me for ever thinking we were _friends_." She whispered, clenching her jaw as the tears she had been holding back finally slid down her cheeks, her lips trembling while she fought to maintain her composure. Taking a deep breath, she pulled her shoulders back and roughly brushed her tears away with the back of her hand.

"Don't worry, young master Hayato," The title was mocking this time, the words a fine blade with no other intention than to cause harm. "That was my own mistake. You were never responsible for me, and you still aren't. You're absolved. Now you can leave with a clear conscience, so just…go."

"Yuri," Tsuna finally stepped forward, placing a supportive hand on Gokudera's shoulder as he joined the conversation. "I don't…we can't blame anyone but Giordano for this. This isn't Gokudera's fault, and it isn't yours. I honestly want to help you, and not because I think you're weak or incapable of saving yourself. I'm doing it because you're my friend. Even if it's impossible, I'm willing to fight tooth and nail to-"

"To what end?" She cut him off. "What for? I don't care how noble your cause is; I don't want your pity, and I don't want your help. If you want to call me your friend, the least you can do is trust me to handle myself. From the moment you are born, your single largest responsibility is yourself. Always put your own well-being first, Tenth. Don't get tangled up in this for a reason as silly as trying to save a person like me."

"Are you saying you wouldn't try to help someone else?"

"I trust others to be smart enough to take care of themselves."

"If you knew someone else was suffering, would you honestly just stand back and let it happen?" Tsuna couldn't believe he even had to ask such a question. "You would just expect them to handle it on their own?"

"I would." Her response was so immediate, so instantaneous. Her gaze was steady, and she didn't even try to avoid his eyes. She wasn't saying something this horrible just to get him off her back. She truly meant it, and that thought alone was terrifying.

She was done crying. Her cheeks had dried, and her mask was back on, tighter than ever. A picture perfect example of cold stoicism, she began walking back to the brothel, wordlessly pushing between them as she marched forward. There was a heaviness to her stride, processional…like a martyr off to her execution.

With nothing left to say to each other, the boys could only trail after her, shoulders sagging under the weight of their own perceived failure. She had made it clear – she wouldn't be accepting any sort of help from them. Was it still worth it to try?

As they re-entered the brothel, Tsuna was struck by the silence. They had left the building in chaos, but were returning to an eerie and dark stillness. As Yuri pushed aside the curtains, a coldness settled in the pit of Tsuna's stomach. There were no customers within, but only a single line of women, all of them workers. A blonde man was pacing back and forth in front of them, muttering angrily under his breath. Before he could panic, Tsuna caught sight of his two friends standing off to the side, looking sheepish but no worse for the wear.

As they stepped in, the man's attention immediately snapped towards them, zeroing in on Yuri. Within two large strides, he was in front of her, the back of his hand cracking across her face.

All four boys automatically stepped forward with a mixture of indignant sounds, but he silenced them with a loud string of angry Italian words, grabbing the girl's arm and pulling her around roughly so that he stood between her and the boys.

"It's best if you leave," Yuri spoke up quietly from behind him. "You've caused enough trouble with the fight."

"He can't-!" Tsuna protested, but she was already cutting him off.

"'You don't think Giordano told me about you?'" Tsuna blinked for a moment, confused, before he realized the man was still yelling at the top of his lungs in Italian. She was translating, as though she were still his guide taking him on a tour of Italy. "'You Vongola brats can't do anything to me – you go ahead and tell that baby I know how empty his threats are, too. Now, get out!'" Her final words matched his in pitch and volume.

"This must be Benussi," Gokudera muttered quietly in Tsuna's ear. "He has to be talking about Reborn."

"Ah," Yuri's glare was venomous, and Tsuna knew he had long outstayed his welcome, but he could only see Benussi's fingers wrapped around her arm, his nails digging into her skin hard enough to draw blood. "So…what do we do?"

"…nothing." Tsuna turned to stare at the bomber in shock. Gokudera couldn't meet his eyes, but he continued speaking. "Tenth, we don't have any power here. She's too damn stubborn to accept your help. If we stay, we'll just be making things worse for everyone involved."

"…But I can't just…" He hated to admit it, but every single word was true. Tsuna didn't even put up a fight as Benussi shoved him towards the exit. Taking his lead, the other three boys followed him out, casting angry glares as they left. Glancing over his shoulder, Tsuna could barely see Benussi returning to Yuri, lifting his hand to deal another hard blow. Each time he struck and her head snapped to the side, the anger in her eyes flared to life like a flame being fed more firewood – but her hands remained limp at her sides. She would not protect herself. She would not accept help.

"He can't-! That was-! Oi, Sawada!" The boxer sputtered in outrage as they stood in the street, the door to the café shut and locked behind them.

"She can't stay there, Tsuna, you know that!" Yamamoto chimed in, his face devoid of the bright grin he was known for. It was rare to see the swordsman angry, which only drove the thorn deeper into Tsuna's side. "That was abuse! You saw that, didn't you?!"

"_I know!_" Tsuna yelled, curling his fingers into his hair.

"So, what are we going to do?"

"What _can_ we?" Sitting heavily on the curb, Tsuna curled his knees into his chest and cradled his head in his hands. He was out of ideas, and had no will left to keep fighting. He had not felt so helpless in a long time. "There's nothing left to do…"

The next morning, Yuri didn't show up by the gates.

* * *

><p><em>~2 Weeks Later~<em>

Yuri marched down the hall, her feet landing so heavily her boots threatened to punch straight through the wooden flooring. She was furious.

She couldn't do this anymore. She just couldn't do it anymore, not after this.

"_What are you saying? You mean you didn't know?"_

Of course she didn't know, why the hell would anyone have bothered to tell her? This was the last straw, one of too many that had already broken the camel's back long ago. She was broken. She was so far beyond help now…she just couldn't fight anymore. What was the point in holding out hope if there was nothing left to believe in? She couldn't do it, she just couldn't do it, not after this. This was disgusting, unforgivable, and it was her own damn fault. There was no one to blame but herself, but she needed to blame _someone_.

Taking a deep breath, she threw the doors open, stepping into the wretched room she had come to know so well. The walls were a disturbingly suitable shade of red, reminding her of all the blood she had spilled as she was forced to recount each and every gruesome detail to her 'handler'. That's what that disgusting man liked to call himself, just like he enjoyed calling this horrid form of torture 'debriefing'.

"Ah, Yuri!" Giordano sat casually inside, lifting a glass of amber fluid in greeting like he did every time. A silent gloat, a sinister little signal that told her he had won yet again. "Another job well done! Come, come, take off your coat and let me get you a drink so we can properly celebrate this!" As he stood to pour another glass of liquor – which they both knew she wouldn't drink a drop of – she obligingly shrugged her coat off, leaving her arms and shoulders uncomfortably bare.

"My, you do look lovely when you clean up a bit, don't you?" He chuckled, bringing her glass over to her. "Don't get me wrong, you're just as fetching even when you're drenched in blood, but it doesn't hurt to run a comb through your hair every now and then, does it?" He lifted his hand to her head as he spoke, twisting the ends of her hair between his fingers. "I remember when you first chopped off your locks, like some homeless urchin out on the streets. Benussi certainly was furious, wasn't he? And then we got our first complaints from the customers, something about you binding your breasts with gauze?"

Capturing her chin, he forced Yuri to look him in the eyes, adopting an amused smile as she grit her teeth. "It was a noble attempt, I'll give you that…but there will always be men out there with such strange appetites. The more you try to look like a boy, the more oddities you'll draw out. You do understand that, don't you? Or are you really too dull to make the connection?" Setting his glass down on the desk beside them, he ran both of his hands down her arms with an appreciative sound. "There really is no denying that you're a woman, though, is there?"

It was always like this. Every single time, it was like this. She hated him. Yuri could feel the ugly emotion within her, black and sticky, clinging to every part of her being, infesting her very existence. Because of him, that hatred was directed at herself just as much as it was at him. All because of this disgusting, putrid man standing before her, running his hands down her shoulders, her arms, her hips; she wanted to claw the skin off wherever he touched…and there was no place he hadn't. He had no intention of letting her go. She was a fool to have ever believed otherwise, and now her naiveté had come at too great a cost.

"See, even though you're so unfortunate, so _unwanted_," His fingers made their way to her face, stroking her cheek and making her skin crawl. "Look at everything I do for you." Every single time it was like this. Every. Single. Time. "Why don't you do something to thank me every now and then, hm?" She couldn't do it anymore, she couldn't, she just couldn't. "Say 'thank you'," Fisting his fingers in her hair, he tugged her head backwards roughly as he brought his lips to her ear. "Say 'thank you, sir. Thank you for treating me so well.'"

"Hm…" Letting the corners of her mouth curl up, Yuri lifted her pistol and pressed it to his temple. "Go fuck yourself." She whispered coldly, squeezing the trigger.

* * *

><p>"Excuse me, Ninth." Tsuna turned around with the others to get a glimpse of who was interrupting their second month's end debriefing with the Ninth. To his surprise, he recognized Schnitten in the doorway, the Ninth's own rain guardian. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but there's a situation that requires your attention."<p>

"It can't wait?" The Ninth frowned as the man shook his head, casting a wary glance at the four boys. "Go ahead, then."

"I'll be brief," Schnitten bowed slightly, shuffling a few loose papers in his hands. "One of our members was murdered just a few hours ago – one bullet to the head, and four more to the chest. He's been identified as Arturo Giordano." Tsuna's eyes widened as he heard the name, and a quick glance at his friends showed they had come to the same conclusion as him. "We have the perpetrator in custody."

"Already?" The Ninth's eyebrows rose.

"It was an unusual situation. The culprit committed the act with two witnesses outside the door, and continued to fire shots even after they had entered. It was public, in broad daylight – everyone heard the shots, didn't even make an attempt to escape."

"Well, who was it?"

"A young woman, half-Japanese, named Yuriko." A quick glance from the Ninth was enough to tell Tsuna to keep his mouth shut – this was adult business – but Tsuna's fingers continued to dig into the surface of the desk.

"The punishment for murder committed in the first degree is execution, you know that, Schnitten."

"O-of course," The rain guardian looked hesitant, and Tsuna's jaw had nearly hit the floor, but the Ninth waved their attention back over to him.

"_However_," He enunciated, making sure they gave him the chance to talk. "This Giordano has already been marked as a potential threat to the family, a loose cannon. The girl may just as well have done us a favor. Nevertheless," Tsuna cut his sigh of relief short, holding what breath he had left as the Ninth continued on. "She's committed a crime against the Vongola. Put her in a cell and send an interrogator in. She better have a reason for this, and a good one at that. Restrict her food for three days and don't allow her any rest. I will allow non-fatal torture methods for now – keep the body and the mind intact, understand?"

"_What?!_" Tsuna exploded, standing so quickly his seat toppled over behind him, but he made no move to right it. "You _can't-!_"

"Tsunayoshi!" The Ninth's voice was loud and stern, scolding. "I expect you to handle this maturely!" Turning to Schnitten, he nodded for the man to leave. "You have your orders."

"Right away," With a bow, he turned to leave, and the Ninth waited for the door to shut behind him before continuing.

"Tsunayoshi-kun, I understand how you feel. In return, please try to understand _my_ position." His voice lowered, taking on a more gentle tone, but Tsuna was still too agitated to sit back down. "This is the mafia. When one of your own is killed, it can be seen as an open declaration of war. You are expected to act, to retaliate accordingly. Not doing so will be seen as a sign of weakness, and other families will grow bolder if they see that. That means attacks, and attacks mean death – anywhere from one or two lives, to hundreds of them – all blood on my hands. Tsunayoshi, please understand, I need to do this in order to protect the family."

Tsuna's fists continued to tremble at his sides, and his lips were pressed into a thin line. He understood, but he didn't know whether or not he could accept it.

"Why can't you just…lie?" Yamamoto asked, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. It was a suggestion that made him a bit uncomfortable, but he couldn't easily stand by and watch this happen.

"This family is much larger than you realize," The Ninth's eyes held too much sadness for one person to be burdened with. "No matter what precautions I take, there is no way to keep news from traveling by word of mouth. Even within this family that I need to protect, there are few that I can trust completely."

"That's…"

"Horrible? Yes, it is. But it's a harsh reality. Tsunayoshi-kun, this family needs you. The corruption of this family…you're the one that has the power to change it. I've chosen you as my heir for a reason."

"…but _torture_?" The word left Tsuna's lips as little more than a whisper. "You know she doesn't deserve that."

"Just three days," The Ninth replied. "She's fought and survived for this long. She's a strong girl. Three days, Tsunayoshi-kun."

Tsuna's head was nodding mechanically, but doubt was consuming him from the inside. Yuri had shot Giordano, in front of witnesses, just waiting to be captured. He desperately hoped he was wrong, but it sounded like she had been expecting an execution. It sounded like she had simply lost the will to live, and Tsuna didn't know how he would be able to bring that back for her.


	9. I Negativi

Three days. It sounded like a short amount of time, but Tsuna felt acutely aware of each second as it ticked by, each one feeling slower than the last.

None of the boys could muster up the will to continue with their daily tours. The disconcerting knowledge of Yuri's torture weighed heavily on everyone – it was not a time for carefree activity. Each of them had a different method of coping, finding their own ways to pass the time.

Ryohei, predictably, threw himself into physical activity. He could be seen anywhere on the property, running hard enough for his shirt to be drenched with sweat. When he wasn't running, he was doing calisthenics, one hundred sit ups and push-ups and swings of the jump rope at a time. And when he wasn't doing that, he was shadow boxing, which occasionally involved throwing his fist through the wall rather than the air.

Yamamoto had an equally difficult time keeping still, and adopted the mission of exploring the entirety of the building. He claimed he was memorizing different routes, maybe even thinking about drawing up a map in his free time. As he roamed the halls, however, he rarely looked curious or explorative. He was more likely to walk the same route over and over again, going in circles with a glazed look in his eyes.

At first, Gokudera had discovered the library and stationed himself within it for hours at a time, books piled up around him. When they learned where Yuri was being held, however, the bomber had abandoned the post. When he glanced in later, Tsuna found the piles of books untouched, with no signs that they had even been opened.

The prison cells occupied an entire wing of the building, supposedly underground. A heavy wooden door in the foyer denied them access, heavily bolted on the other side in several places. The thought made Tsuna's skin crawl. For weeks on end, he had been passing through the foyer, lounging in the seats and making small talk with his friends, completely unaware of the fact that a door was all that separated them from a prison. None of the boys were eager to hang around the disquieting door – none except for Gokudera, who wordlessly took a seat in front of it. For hours on end, he simply sat there with his head in his hands, unmoving.

Tsuna was by far the most restless. He simply couldn't settle on a single method to occupy himself with, especially when he was seeing his friends in this state. Twice, he caved and decided to accompany Ryohei on one of his runs. Several times, he joined Yamamoto in exploring the building. Too often, he paced back and forth in the foyer, keeping Gokudera company. Sometimes he swore he could hear the sound of faint screaming, and he was left unsure of whether it was real or in his head, unsure of which scenario was worse. By the third day, his nerves had been rubbed completely raw.

"Tsuna," Bianchi's voice held a note of surprise as she entered the foyer, finding him curled up on a couch, gnawing at his fingernails. There were drops of blood in several places where he had bitten them down to the bed, his mind far too occupied to notice.

"Ah," Turning to glance at her, he immediately brought a protective hand to his stomach as he noticed the tray in her hands. She had been keeping herself busy in her own way, practically locking herself in the kitchen and coming up with one atrocious concoction after another. "G-good morning."

"Did you sleep here?" The dark circles under his eyes were a plain indication that he had not slept at all, but he had clearly spent the night there. As his gaze wandered towards Gokudera, she just let out a small, "Ah."

"What are you doing?" He kept a wary eye on the food in her hands, wondering if she was bringing them breakfast. Rather than approaching him, however, she began walking towards the door. Lifting his head wearily, Gokudera silently shifted aside, granting her access. Tsuna had assumed the bomber had been sleeping, but the circles under Gokudera's eyes matched his own.

"I'm bringing her first meal down to her," Bianchi replied, pounding her fist against the door. From the other side, Tsuna could hear the clicking of locks being unlatched.

"You have access to her?" He asked, standing from the couch and moving towards her.

"Someone has to feed the girl," As the door swung open, she strode in quickly, obviously eager to get inside. A familiar purple haze wafted from the tray, making the guard's face go green as she passed by him.

"…w-wait, you're going to feed her _your_ food?" If the past three days hadn't killed Yuri, being fed poison cooking right afterwards just might. "Wait a second-!" Tsuna barely had time to speak as the door was slammed shut again.

"It's fine, Tenth," Gokudera spoke up, making Tsuna glance at him in surprise.

"But…poison cooking!"

"Don't worry," Even in his current state, Gokudera was still putting forth the effort to set Tsuna's mind at ease. The thought was simultaneously reassuring and worrying. "She's immune to the effects. Or she may have just developed a strong tolerance for it – either way, it'll be fine."

"How is that even possible?" Tsuna took a seat beside the Gokudera, bumping the bomber's shoulder with his own.

"It happened to a few different people back at our house, mostly the kitchen staff. Yuri was a guinea pig for my sister the majority of the time, though. She was either too nice or too scared to say no. After a while, she just stopped reacting to the food altogether."

"But you weren't so lucky?"

Gokudera's mouth twisted into a wry smile. "Not even close." It was nice to see a smile, even if it was tired and wan. The building had been devoid of them for too long.

How was it that a single teenaged girl had changed all of them so much in just a matter of weeks? Tsuna could see his friends being forced to grow up alongside him, far before their time, and he felt helpless to do anything about it. And then there was Yuri herself, who was another matter entirely.

"It's been three days," Tsuna muttered. "Do you think they'll let her out?"

"I don't know," Gokudera replied despondently. "Maybe."

"If they do, what are you going to do?"

"I don't know."

"I wonder if she'll need to be taken care of…I wonder if they'll let us…or if _she'll_ let us, for that matter."

"I…" Heaving a large sigh, Gokudera rested his forehead against his palm. "I'm sorry, Tenth. I don't know."

"Ah…" Tsuna shook his head apologetically. "No, don't listen to me, I'm just thinking aloud at this point…try to get some rest," Getting to his feet with a small groan, he gave the bomber a friendly pat on the shoulder. "I'm going to go talk to the Ninth."

"I'll go with you!" Gokudera responded predictably. Tsuna's first instinct was to reject the proposal and have the boy try to get some sleep. Thinking it through, though, he realized it was likely a lost cause – it would probably be good for the bomber to stretch his legs a bit.

"Ah, thank you." Tsuna nodded at him appreciatively as they made their way towards the Ninth's office.

"Come in," The man's muffled voice called out after they knocked lightly on the door, and Tsuna turned the handle, hesitantly poking his head in. "Ah, perfect timing!" The Ninth exclaimed as he looked up from his desk, waving them in. His expression sobered as Gokudera stepped in, taking note of their harrowed looking condition.

"I-I hope we're not intruding," Tsuna said. "I was just wondering about-"

"Yuriko, yes; I was just about to send for you so that we might discuss that." Setting his pen down, the Ninth rubbed his fingers over his own bloodshot eyes. "The child is resilient."

"…what do you mean?" Tsuna didn't know whether he should feel hopeful or distraught by the word choice.

"Truth be told, we've managed to get absolutely nothing out of her. She hasn't said a word in the last three days, regardless of what-" The Ninth cut himself off as he saw them wince, opting to let out a tired sigh instead. "In any case, our usual tactics have had no effect."

"S-so…"

"Don't worry," Leaning forward, the Ninth gave them a reassuring smile. "I promise, her life won't end by my hand – I have no intention of causing her any further harm. I'm worried, though, that the decision may not be up to me."

"…right." Tsuna glanced down, not needing any clarification. The Ninth had come to the same conclusion as him – Yuri had lost her will to fight, to live. She had given up.

"I'd like you to give it a try."

"I'm sorry?" Glancing back up, Tsuna blinked a few times in confusion.

"Call it intuition, if you will…I simply have a feeling that you may succeed where we have failed."

"You mean I can go…see her?"

"I'm practically begging," The Ninth gave him a wry smile. "I need a statement, if you can get it – an explanation as to why she did what she did. I don't doubt that Giordano did something to provoke her, and that something may just be enough to clear her name…not to mention the fact that it's a valuable piece of information that belongs in our records. I try not to repeat my mistakes."

"O-of course," Tsuna nodded, pressing his lips into a tight line. "I'll do my best."

"Good luck."

Backing out of the door, Tsuna gave him a grateful smile before turning down the hallway. "I don't know if I can do this," He admitted to Gokudera a bit too quickly. "After the last time she saw us…do you think she'll even listen to me?"

"…" The bomber was silent for a moment, glaring at the ground as they walked. "Of course, Tenth," As he looked back up, Tsuna could see the resolution in his eyes. "There's not a doubt in my mind. You can do it."

"Ah…" While the bomber looked utterly confident, Tsuna's gaze was downcast in worry and fear. "I hope you're right."

As they cautiously approached the looming door, it suddenly opened up and Bianchi stepped out.

"Oh," She looked as though she were in a trance, right up until she nearly bumped into them. "What are you two doing?"

"The Ninth asked me to go see her," Tsuna explained, tilting his head curiously. "How…how is she?" The woman's jaw clenched tightly for a moment before she shook her head.

"I'll let you see for yourself. I think it's a good idea…for her to see you, I mean." Her words only put a lump in Tsuna's throat. Turning, she passed the message on to the guard inside before brushing past them, brushing her fingers over his shoulder. "Good luck." Somehow, the words only made him feel worse.

"Well…" Stepping forward, Tsuna allowed Gokudera to enter ahead of him. As they passed the threshold from light to dark, Tsuna glanced up at the sentry, who gave him a curt nod. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust once the door had shut. It was much dimmer inside, fitting the prison motif well.

"It's the third cell on the right – the door is already unlocked." The guard told them, jutting his chin in the direction they were headed, and they approached it wordlessly.

"Um," Glancing at the bars in the door, Tsuna dropped his voice down to a whisper just in case she could hear them from inside. "It might be better if you wait out here."

"Of course," The bomber nodded, surprisingly compliant. With a deep breath, Tsuna braced his shoulder against the heavy metal door and pushed it open, slipping inside quietly. It was still dim, but he was able to make out the details of the room. A cot had been set up, the tray of Bianchi's food sitting untouched beside it. Letting his eyes roam, Tsuna jumped slightly when he realized the unmoving lump in the corner was breathing.

She didn't look good. Her coat and shoes had been taken away, leaving her rather exposed in her typical uniform. The tank top she wore revealed a good portion of her upper back, and he could see each individual vertebrae of her spine jutting out unnaturally in her huddled position. Her hair was greasy and tangled, sorely in need of a shower; upon closer inspection, Tsuna could see that it was matted with sweat and blood, as were her clothes. She didn't have any visible wounds, but he knew they were there. Her feet were bare, a set of dirty bandages wrapping their way up her calves as well as her hands and arms. Taking a seat on the ground in front of her, he could see gauze on her neck and cheek as well, and one of her eyelids was swollen shut. Her eyes were dull and glassy, but they flickered slightly as he sat, showing that she was aware of his presence.

"…Yuri?" He tried hesitantly, his voice too soft to even be called a whisper. "A-are you…alright?" He felt stupid as soon as the question had left his mouth. She only responded by lowering her gaze further. "Um, listen…you can get out of here; this can all be over really soon. I talked to the Ninth, and he said you could easily clear your name. I just…I need you to say something. Can you talk to me?" He stared at her hopefully in silence for a while, but she remained unmoving. "Please?" Pulling her knees closer, she only tucked her face further out of sight, curling into a tighter ball. Letting out a long, slow breath, Tsuna ran his fingers through his hair a few times before nodding slowly. "Okay…that's okay. You don't have to say anything if you don't want to. You can just let me talk for now – let me know if you get bored of me, though." Letting out a nervous laugh, he scooted across the floor so that he was sitting beside her instead of in front of her.

"You know," He began slowly. "I don't think anyone blames you for what you did. There was probably a different way that you could have gone about it, and I can't really say what you did was right…but I can tell you that I'm glad. That must sound pretty horrible, but it's the truth. I don't think I ever knew what it felt like to hate someone so completely until I met Giordano. If you hadn't gone ahead and done it yourself, I might have actually…" Glancing down at his hands, Tsuna could see that his fingers were trembling, and he clenched them into tight fists. "I don't know. I guess I won't ever really know. I just…" Tilting his head back, he let out a heavy sigh. "I wish you would have let us help you, Yuri. I wish you would let us help you now. You don't have to do this alone." He glanced over at her hopefully, and grew slightly more optimistic as he saw one of her eyes peeking at him over her arm, shrouded by her bangs. He decided to keep trying. "I know things have been hard. But you're brave and strong, you've fought through all of it, and that's amazing. You can't give up now, Yuri, not when you've made it so far. You've been alone for a really long time, but you have us now…we'll help you, I promise. You have me, and Bianchi, and Gokudera…" As he spoke, her eye disappeared from view and she turned away from him completely.

Licking his lips, Tsuna bounced his head lightly against the wall a few times before trying once more. "I understand why you're angry. I don't know who should be blamed, really, but I understand. To have a friend turn his back on you…to feel abandoned, betrayed…I can see why you would be upset with Gokudera. I understand how seeing us that night might have been the final straw. We were intruding, sticking our noses where they didn't belong. I should have listened to you, trusted you…because that's what friends do. And if you can't forgive that, I understand. If…if we were what drove you to this point…I'm sorry. I really am." Casting one more look over at her, he was disappointed to find she was refusing to look at him. It hadn't occurred to him before now that he might actually be to blame for this, and as far as he could tell, the assumption was right. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he pushed himself to his feet and moved towards the door, not wanting to make things worse.

"You're wrong." His feet froze in place as she suddenly spoke up. Her voice was hoarser than usual, but there was no doubt that the words had come from her. Turning around, he could see she was staring directly at him, though her arms still shielded her lower face. "You've got nothing to do with it. Neither does Hayato. None of this is his fault…I know that." As Tsuna returned to sit by her once more, she slowly uncurled her body from the tight ball she had been in, her expression pained as the stiff joints cracked and popped into place. "I just needed someone to be angry at, someone that I could hurt, even if it didn't help me at all. There was really only one bit of truth I said that night – I was never his responsibility. Honestly, Tenth, you think you're the reason I'm here?" She cracked a sardonic smile. "You're the best thing that's happened to me in years. When you came, with Gokudera and Yamamoto and Sasagawa…I was _happy_. I had forgotten what that even felt like."

"Then…if it wasn't us…why?"

"I wonder," Leaning back against the wall, she tilted her face towards the ceiling. "Because I'm weak, maybe…my fingers are stained with blood, Tenth; blood that never deserved to be shed."

"You were-"

"Being used. I've crossed off dozens of names on a hitlist. Dozens. There was a time when I would vomit after every kill, but it stopped happening after a while. I thought I was hardened against death – I grew numb a long, long time ago. I thought there was nothing left that could rattle me. But a week ago…" She let out a shaky breath, squeezing her eyes shut as though she were trying to block out the memory. "My order was to kill a young woman. It was straightforward enough, a well-aimed shot through the chest from a distance would do it." Lifting a hand to her mouth, she traced the wound where her lip had split with trembling fingers. "A day later, rumors began to spread around the brothel. A story, really, of how Signor Giordano's wife was threatening to leave him; a story of how he had impregnated his mistress, and how she had been threatening to tell his secret; a story of how that mistress was found, dead from a bullet straight through her heart." Laying her hand over her eyes, Yuri bit down on the wound hard enough to draw fresh blood, the red liquid pooling around her teeth. "Do you understand, Tenth?"

"Y-you couldn't have known-"

"But that's not the point, is it? The woman was _innocent_. Her only crime was trying to protect herself. Giordano is a corrupt man – I knew that, yet it had never occurred to me before this. How many other people, innocent people…how many have I killed? Even if she was the only one…she had a _child_; a child that's now an orphan – a child that _I _orphaned. When I realized…_that_ was the last straw. So I made a decision right there – I had to kill him. I didn't even intend to get caught, originally – I've done this enough times by now that I didn't even have to worry about it."

"So, what happened?" Tsuna asked out of genuine curiosity. Letting her head roll to one side, she gave him a passive shrug.

"When I went in, I was _so_ angry. I thought I could see everything that was wrong with the world in the face of this one man, and I just wanted him _gone_…but when he fell…it was just over so quickly, and all I felt was…tired." Sighing, she brought her knees back up and buried her face in her arms once more. "I'm just so tired."

Those four words seemed to suck the life right out of her, and she deflated like a balloon in front of Tsuna. Her entire body sagged, and she looked like a shadow blending in against the walls. Where she had lost her anger, though, Tsuna only found more. Unfortunately for him, there was no easy way to dispel the flames racing through his veins, begging him to hurt, to hate, to destroy. He just knew he had to do _something_.

"Then rest," He finally said, pushing himself off of the ground. "Don't think, don't feel, don't worry…just rest. You deserve it." Scooping his arms under her, he lifted her with ease, marveling at how light she felt. It was sickening. "You're free to come out whenever you're ready to, alright?" Laying her down on the cot, he knelt beside her and gave her hand a small squeeze. "Thank you for telling me."

"…is it over yet?" She asked miserably.

"Almost." Her lips curled into a bitter smile.

"You're a bad liar, Tenth."

"That's because I'm not lying. I'll take care of everything – you just get some sleep."

"…okay." Her eyelids slid shut, and she was asleep within moments, too exhausted to fight the urge after three days of sleep deprivation. After making sure she was truly asleep, Tsuna exited the cell.

"…T-Tenth," Gokudera pushed off from against the wall to greet Tsuna. The bomber's face was red, his eyes filled with pain. "I…"

"I know," Tsuna smiled sympathetically at him.

"I knew you could do it." Tsuna's face grew hot as the bomber bowed deeply. "Thank you, Tenth."

"Eh, n-no, it's nothing!" Chuckling awkwardly, Tsuna rubbed the back of his neck until Gokudera rose again. "I'll leave her in your hands – take care of her when she wakes up."

"Wha- Are you going somewhere?" Tsuna nodded, the smile slipping from his face.

"I need to take care of some things."

* * *

><p>The sun was just beginning to touch the horizon when Tsuna returned, the sky cast in a warm orange glow. With his clothes covered in dirt and other stains, he decided it would be better to sneak in from a side entrance, rather than through the foyer. Some of the stains were red, standing out starkly against the white of his shirt – knowing his family, they would probably jump to the wrong conclusion before he could offer an explanation.<p>

Slipping in through the kitchen, he bowed his head slightly to greet the staff before sneaking into the halls, dashing for his room as quickly as he could. He made it without any other run-ins and let out a long, slow breath as the door shut behind him. He leaned up against it for a moment, resting his eyes before glancing down at his clothes in distaste.

"Well, that was messy," Blowing a few stray hairs out of his face, he moved to the dresser and gathered a set of clean clothes to change into. Stepping into the bathroom, he stuck his head under the sink faucet in an attempt to clean his face and hair of the dirt – it would have to do until he could take a shower later. He ran a comb through his hair quickly before rushing back out, eager to check up on everyone, but found himself slamming into someone else as soon as he turned the corner, knocking both of them backwards.

"Whoa, careful!"

"S-sorry!" He immediately apologized, glancing up at the other person. "Oh!"

"Well, if it isn't the heir himself," Lyric grinned down at him.

"Hello again," Tsuna bowed his head slightly in greeting. "We haven't seen you since the day we arrived."

"I'm hard to catch," Smiling, she pointed up towards the ceiling. "I'm probably up there ninety percent of the time. I've been grounded for a few days though; I have to fly some VIPs in and out. Sorry about the formal attire," Pulling the pilot's cap from her head and tucking it under her arm, she made a face and ran her fingers through her hair a few times. "It's good to see you again, though – you look like you've settled in."

"Ah, well…" Tsuna's gaze drifted to the side as he reviewed everything that had happened over the past couple of months.

"It looks like you have a better understanding of what I told you that day."

"I…I think I do. I've learned a lot, anyways."

"Ah, right, the girl."

"You know about Yuri?" Tsuna's surprise was evident in his voice.

"It's been all the buzz. Schnitten filled me in after I landed."

"Do you know where she is? I was planning to go check on her."

"I'd check the foyer," Jutting her thumb in its direction, she started leading the way. "Last I heard, Timoteo had permitted her to rest here overnight – that's her, right?"

They came to a stop at the edge of the hall and Tsuna peeked out from behind her in order to get a glimpse, his eyes widening at the scene. "Wow, I...yeah, that's her."

She didn't look much better than she had when he left her, to be perfectly honest. It looked like she had gotten a shower in as well as some clean bandages, but her skin was still pale and the circles under her eyes were so dark they looked like bruises. She was curled up on the couch with a heavy blanket wrapped around her shoulders, a mug of steaming liquid clutched between her fingers.

It wasn't Yuri herself that surprised him, though – it was her company. She was crowded on the couch, with Bianchi on one side and Yamamoto on the other, while Ryohei stood behind them and Gokudera sat directly across from her. Ganauche occupied one of the seats off to the side, as did several other unfamiliar faces.

"Rumors spread quickly around here," Lyric explained, crossing her arms and leaning against the wall. "It's rare, but there are several people in the house with hearts softer than cotton – the kitchen staff in particular." The thought brought a small smile to Tsuna's lips, even though Yuri looked a bit uncomfortable with all the company. She was surprisingly focused on whatever Gokudera was saying, who looked excited to have someone listen, and Tsuna stepped closer, curious to hear what they were talking about.

"You see, flames correlate directly with the strength of a person's resolve," Gokudera was saying. "There are seven types all together, each with a different characteristic and ability."

"What do they look like?" Yuri asked, leaning forwards slightly.

"Ah, well…here," Glancing at each other, the boys nodded and each lit their rings, holding out their fists for her to see.

"…incredible…" Her eyes were wide enough that Tsuna could see the dancing flames reflected in them. "I never knew the Vongola had this kind of power." She stared at them for a bit longer, hesitantly reaching up in and running her fingers over each one, trying to tell how much heat they emitted. "And everyone has them?"

"Yes…well, to a certain extent. Everyone is born with wave energy of varying size and balance, but you need a ring to make a flame," Gokudera continued to explain. "The ring reacts to a wave with the same attribute and converts it, producing high density energy, which is what the flames really are."

"How do you know what type you have?"

"I think the only way to find out is by trying to light one." Hearing this, Yuri only hummed thoughtfully, glancing down at her own hands.

"Would you like to try and find out yours?" Ganauche spoke up, grinning at her. "There are cheap rings you can use, compatible with all types of wave energy. Since they're so generic, the flame will be small, but you could give it a shot."

"I don't know…" She looked doubtful and hesitant.

"Why not just try it for fun?" He pressed, fishing a plain silver band from his pocket. "Satisfy my curiosity."

"…I can try…" She still didn't sound at all convinced, but she held out her hand and allowed him to press the metal into her palm.

"Ever the optimist," Lyric murmured beside Tsuna, pulling his attention away from the conversation.

"Eh?"

"Ganauche," She clarified. "Assuming she'll be able to light it. It takes an incredible amount of willpower and intent to create even a weak flame. Does she look determined to you?"

"Um…" Glancing back over, Tsuna saw the boys crowding around her, each trying to coach her to light it in their own way.

"You need to turn your resolution into a flame! Imagine it as a well of energy inside you and move it into your arm, then your hand and fingers – it's like electricity in a way, with how it…" Gokudera was trying to explain it scientifically, as always, while Yamamoto attempted an intuitive approach.

"It's kind of like a feeling bubbling in your chest, and you just let it _bukubukubuku_…!"

"_GUUOOOO!_" Ryohei attempted to mimic the sound of a flame coming to life. "FIGHT TO THE EXTREME!"

It was a lively scene, but Yuri was sitting motionlessly in the center of it all, looking at the ring with a despondent expression. It looked as though everyone believed in her except for herself.

"Don't get me wrong, after what she's gone through, I can't blame her," Lyric continued, pursing her lips thoughtfully. "She's been…broken. She's completely lacking in resolve."

"…Well, it's not that what you're saying isn't true… but I don't think you're right." Tsuna finally responded, continuing to observe the scene. It was true, Yuri looked more like an empty shell than a person…but there was a certain life in her eyes now, with these people around her.

As he spoke, he watched her eyes harden and her fist clench tighter, frowning in concentration…and a moment later, color sprang from the ring – but it wasn't a color they were familiar with. Hovering over her finger was a flame, pitch black in color. It couldn't even be called a flame – rather than dancing and emitting light, it squirmed and writhed, an inky gunky mess that made Tsuna sick just to look at.

"Is…is that supposed to happen…?" Yuri's voice was quiet, her cheeks growing red. As she glanced around, taking in their surprised and somewhat horrified expressions, her face fell.

While everyone else was speechless, however, Lyric had inhaled sharply through her nose, prompting Tsuna to tear his eyes away from…whatever it was that Yuri had just created, in order to look at the older woman. She looked shocked, but her expression lacked the confusion that everyone else had. There was a spark of recognition in her eyes.

"Come with me," She said suddenly, grabbing him roughly by the arm and pulling him back into the hall.

"Eh? What-" Tsuna winced as her fingers dug into his flesh. He let out a small breath of relief as they loosened when Lyric noticed Schnitten approaching from the opposite direction.

"Oh good," Lyric said, completely ignoring the hand he lifted in greeting. "Where are you headed?"

"I heard the girl was awake and talking," He told her, giving her a strange look. "I thought I would go try to gather some information. Are you alright? You look a little…manic."

"Listen, I need you to gather the other guardians and send them to Timoteo's office, and get the girl into a bed." Tightening her grip on Tsuna's arm again, she pushed past the swordsman curtly, tossing another word over her shoulder. "Immediately."

"Ah, ow," Tsuna muttered under his breath as he stumbled along after her. "Lyric? What's wrong? That…black stuff…do you know what it was?"

"Yes, but Timoteo is the one that needs to explain this."

"Can you at least tell me if Yuri's okay?"

"…No, she's not. She's dying."

* * *

><p>"I don't understand, where are we going?" Yuri looked confused, and more than a little irritated at this point as Tsuna continued to drag her through the crowded street of the city.<p>

"We're nearly there, I promise," He placated, turning down another side street, this one nearly empty. After a few more twists and turns, he stopped at the door of a small building. They could hear the sound of children shrieking and laughing inside, and Yuri's expression only grew more confused as he turned to her and said, "Here it is."

"Here…what is?" She let out a soft sigh, looking far too exhausted to even get angry. "Tenth, I'm really not-" Before she could even finish the sentence, Tsuna grabbed her and pulled her up to one of the windows.

"Look inside," He commanded.

"…I've seen children before." The inside looked like a daycare, with walls painted in bright colors and shapes, and the floor strewn with all types of toys. There were several adults inside, playing with dozens of infants and toddlers.

"It's an orphanage," Tsuna explained. "Look in the back over there – you see the little girl with blonde curls?"

"…That's..." Yuri fell silent as she put the pieces together. "Are you telling me that's her child?"

"She looks happy, doesn't she?" He asked with a smile. "I tracked down the name yesterday and found her here. I spent some time helping out – they left me covered in dirt and stains, but if you don't mind the mess, we can go in. Do you want to see her?"

"I…" She thought about it for a minute with a distressed expression, before finally shaking her head. "No. This is enough. I don't…"

"That's fine," Tsuna reassured her softly. "I just wanted you to see. They're taking good care of her here. I made sure they had a copy of her mother's information, so she'll have it when she's older. She'll know who her mother was, and that she was loved." Yuri nodded soundlessly, her lips pressed together in a tight line. "If you're willing, there's one more thing I'd like to show you."

It wasn't difficult to figure out what that thing was, especially when another ten minutes of walking led them to the edge of a cemetery. "The funeral was three days ago." Tsuna explained as they walked past the rows of gravestones, careful not to step on any flowers that had been placed at their bases.

"I didn't think they'd have one so soon," Yuri muttered, eyes widening as they finally came to a stop. It was a simple stone, no fancy engravings or designs, simply her name and the dates of her birth and death. There were a few small bouquets around the base, and a couple trinkets sitting on top of it.

"She didn't have much family, but someone arranged it – I'm not sure who." Giving her a sidelong glance, Tsuna stepped around the grave. "Would you like a moment?" Swallowing heavily, she nodded, eyes never leaving the stone.

Taking that as his cue, Tsuna walked away quietly, picking out the nearest tree to sit against. Leaning against the bark, he rested his arms against his knees and breathed out slowly, staring up at the tree's branches. Though he wanted to give her privacy, he couldn't help glancing back to look at her. His view was partially blocked by the gravestone, but he could see that she was on her knees now, her lips moving imperceptibly as she whispered her apologies. Tsuna knew this was something that she needed. Any sort of catharsis was good, more than she realized.

_"No, I don't understand – Lyric said she was dying! What does that mean?" _Tsuna had been almost hysterical in the Ninth's office the evening before.

_"Calm down,"_ The Ninth had looked just as rattled as everyone else in the room was, and he was clearly having a hard time organizing his thoughts into a good explanation. _"It's true that her situation is bad, but it's not as dire as you're making it sound. She'll be fine for a while yet."_

_"Okay," _Tsuna took a steadying breath and sat back down beside his friends, trying to keep the tremor out of his fingers. _"Okay…so what is it that we need to know? How is she dying?" _

_"You're already aware of the seven wave energies that run through our bodies – they're a life force, in a way, in direct correlation with your emotions." _

_"So her…flame…that's a result of what she's been through?" _Gokudera asked, his jaw clenched as tightly as his fists were.

_"Exactly. Just like anything else that is good, flames can be corrupted. Imagine the human body as being made up of gates, through which the energy flows. A healthy individual has most of these gates open, allowing the energy to circulate properly – it's the opening and closing of these gates that determines the strength of your flame. For instance, when you enter your hyper dying will mode, Tsunayoshi, you are opening all of those gates. When an individual experiences a large enough form of trauma, though, the opposite happens – nearly all of the gates shut, as a defense mechanism, which can drastically disrupt the way in which wave energy flows. When that happens, it begins to stagnate, which is the cause behind the corruption."_

_"So this has happened before?" _Yamamoto asked while the others tried to process the information.

_"It's unfortunately not as uncommon as you might think," _Lyric answered him. _"The energy will always begin to deteriorate in that kind of situation, but it's how the individual reacts and copes that determines its type."_

_"You mean there's…more than one?" _

_"Six in total that have been discovered so far. Just from seeing the color, I can tell you this much: her method of coping involves compartmentalization and dissociation. It's not hard to believe that she's been dealing with conflicting values and emotions, between who she is as a person and what she's been forced to do as a means of survival. She may well have originally had a very strong sense of self, but in order to avoid that cognitive dissonance, she had to divide herself up into separate self states that could allow those conflicting ideas to coexist without tearing her apart._

_"So she uses avoidance as protection, either by shifting the focus of a conversation to a different topic, physically removing herself from a situation, or in the case that she's unable to do either, dissociating – completely detaching herself from physical and emotional experience. The effect this has on her energy is disastrous – not only is it blocked, it's either being forced to flow backwards or it's being completely rerouted. Of the six corruption types, hers is the second most destructive. You can imagine what that kind of energy might do when it's trapped inside of you." _

_"…you'd decay from the inside out." _Tsuna guessed half-heartedly, sinking further into his seat as Lyric nodded.

_"It shortens your lifespan. It grows out of control, more like a disease than a healthy part of their body, and it begins to eat away at you. At that stage, it's impossible to harness like a flame – you can't control it. More often than not, it drives the host to insanity first, before leading to death. It's painful, too, like having sludge instead of blood in your veins. I'm amazed she looks as put together as she does, especially at that stage."_

_"This is extremely useless," _Ryohei finally spoke up. _"If she's sick, then you just heal her to the extreme." _

_"Correct!"_

_"What?" _Tsuna leaned forward earnestly. _"You can fix it?"_

_"Absolutely – I recovered, and I was much more of a mess at the time, so I'm certain that she can."_

_"Wait…this happened to you?" _

_"Mm-hmm," _She hummed in assent. _"But that's a story for another time. Now that you understand what's going on inside her, I can get to the good part – how to stabilize it."_

_"Stabilize?" _Gokudera asked, looking disappointed. _"You mean you can't reverse it?"_

_"Unfortunately, we've found no way to bring a corrupted flame back to its natural form. But listen closely, this is where the good news starts. The corruption isn't a death sentence - if you can stabilize the energy, she'll be right as rain and healthy as a horse."_

_"How do we do that?" _Tsuna immediately asked.

_"It's simple – you just get rid of all the bad stuff."_

"Tenth," Tsuna shook himself out of the reverie as he heard Yuri approach. "I'm ready."

"Ah," Pushing himself to his feet, he brushed the grass and dirt from his pants and pushed his hands into his pockets. "Was that helpful?"

"Yes," She glanced down for a moment as they started walking out of the cemetery. "…thank you."

"Of course."

As they made their way back onto the main street, he stole a glance over at her. He could tell she had been crying, based on the blotches of red under her eyes, but her lips were curled into the barest of smiles.

"So," He said, trying to hide his own satisfied smile as they climbed into the car that was waiting for them by the curb. "Where were you planning on going this morning?"

"What?"

"When I came to get you this morning," He elaborated. "You were already awake and dressed, the bed was made, and you were packing a bag."

"Oh…" She looked like she had just been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. "I…don't really know. I just didn't want to overstay my welcome, and I thought it would probably be better if I just showed myself the door."

"I didn't know you had things to pack – didn't you just come here with the clothes on your back?" At this point, Tsuna was just having fun teasing her. He knew exactly what she had been doing, but it wasn't often that she squirmed, and he doubted it would happen much in the future.

"I…" She glanced out the window to avoid meeting his gaze. "Well…"

"You weren't planning on going back to the brothel." Tsuna supplied the explanation for her. "But you don't have anywhere else to stay, so you needed supplies, right?" She looked down, chewing on her lip as she nodded.

"I'm sorry," She apologized. "I just thought that if I needed to steal things, it was better to do so from a place where they wouldn't be missed." Tsuna let the silence hang for a moment, before a snort of laughter escaped from him, making her glance at him in surprise.

"It's fine, you don't need to look so guilty!" He continued to laugh, trying and failing to smother the sound with his hand. "Actually, the kitchen staff had purposely put the food out for you, and the clothes in the drawers were all for you anyways."

"I-I…but…" She was too confused and surprised to even get angry, which pulled another bout of laughter from him.

"Really though, I'm happy." As he finally got his giggles under control, he smiled warmly at her. "That you weren't going back to the brothel, I mean. We were worried that you might try to – and if there's one thing we've learned during this trip, it's that we honestly can't stop you from doing what you want. You're strong, but…well, anyone could see that you had given up. We thought you were going to just lie down and take it, and we were worried you might not get back up."

"That's…not for you to worry about. My problems are-"

"You're responsibility, I know. You're capable of handling everything on your own. But the thing is…you don't have to. The single best thing you can do for me as a friend, you know, is let me help you. That's what you do when you trust someone – you trust them to help you when you need help…just like I trust you to come to my rescue if I ever need it."

"…Tenth…" As the car pulled to a stop, he grinned at her reassuringly and opened the door, climbing out before speaking again.

"It's okay – I just want you to know that we really are here for you, and I don't blame you for trying to leave. I'm glad that you're planning to take your life into your own hands…it would've been nice if you had planned to at least say goodbye, though."

"I didn't want to be a…" As they walked towards the building's entrance, she bowed her head. "I'm sorry."

"No no, it's alright!" He backpedaled, not wanting to make her feel bad. "I'm just happy that I caught you before you left…because, actually…we're going to be leaving sooner than expected." Hearing these words made her head snap right back up.

"What?"

"I've been trying to find a good time to tell you," Tsuna rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "We were talking with the Ninth last night, and…well, he's been keeping tabs on me, apparently. He said the way I handled things, like tracking down Giordano and finding the woman's daughter, had impressed him. Even though it's earlier than planned, he wants to give us our first assignment – in America." Exhaling loudly, Tsuna glanced up at the sky, still feeling overwhelmed by the news himself. "I…I decided to accept. We'll be spending the final month of our summer vacation there before flying back to Japan. W-we leave tomorrow." They stepped inside the building as he finished, and the sudden change in lighting made it difficult to see Yuri's reaction.

"…Oh." She finally said. "That's…" She lifted her head, staring straight ahead, and Tsuna could see she was blinking hard. "That's wonderful. I'm happy for you, Tenth. You're really stepping up, it's about time." It wasn't the first time he had seen her hold back tears, but every time she had cried before this had been out of anger or frustration. This was purely from disappointment, and it pained him to see her fighting so hard against it.

"Would you like to see the others?"

"To say goodbye?"

"To say whatever you want." She chewed on her lip for a moment, staring stoically at the wall, before nodding. "Let's go, then – I'm sure they'll appreciate it." Placing his hand lightly on her shoulder, he started guiding her towards the Ninth's office. "They'll be discussing plans in here." Stopping, he knocked loudly on the door.

"Come in!" A muffled voice answered, and he twisted the handle. Sure enough, everyone was seated inside.

"Yuri," It was hardly a surprise that Bianchi was able to tell that the girl was distressed, immediately jumping from her seat and opening her arms like a mother does to her child. "Come here, what's the matter?"

"I just told her about the change of plans," Tsuna explained for her.

"I just…well…" Yuri's eyes were flicking back towards the door, already looking for an escape route.

"It's okay," Bianchi said reassuringly. "Go ahead."

Inhaling deeply, Yuri nodded and started moving toward the three boys on the couch, who stood to greet her. Tsuna wandered over to the Ninth's desk and took his place beside the older man, who gave him a sympathetic smile as they watched quietly.

"…Sasagawa, you…" Trying to speak, Yuri ended up letting out a strained laugh. "You were honestly a huge pain in the neck."

"You handled it extremely well," The boxer replied lightheartedly. "We'll be going on an even _more_ extreme run next time!"

"Ah…" She chuckled as he held out a fist and she bumped it lightly with her own. "I don't doubt it."

"Now now, there's no need to get upset," Yamamoto jumped in with an infectious laugh. "It's not like we're saying goodbye forever!"

"I…guess not…" While Yamamoto was convincing, she didn't sound so sure.

"Hey, come on – we'll visit again!"

"Mm…It's just," She began picking at her nails nervously. "Having you guys here, it's…it's the first time I've ever had _fun_, and everything's changed so much so suddenly. I guess I just don't know what I'm going to do now."

"Well, you're planning on leaving, right?" Gokudera asked. "The brothel?"

"I…" Her mouth hung open for a moment as she stared at him, before lowering her gaze. "The manager's going to be angry, and he has the resources he needs to track me down. If I'm caught, it'll be really bad for me. I'm good at running, but…it may not be the smartest choice."

This was not what any of them were expecting to hear.

"_What?_" Nearly everyone exclaimed in unison, their voices overlapping loudly as panic set in, but it was Gokudera who truly acted.

"You can't!" He demanded angrily, grabbing her roughly. Immediately, her eyes hardened as her mouth twisted into an indignant frown.

"Is it your decision to make?" He backpedaled quickly, if reluctantly, seeing that his approach was only making her more defensive.

"Look…" He hesitated for a moment, struggling to say the words that were on his mind. Scratching the back of his head with a conflicted sound, he decided to just start talking. "I messed up when we were kids, I know that. Even though I knew you always followed me, I went to dangerous people, and I…I admit that I made a mistake-"

"That's in the past. There's no point-" He wouldn't allow her to even finish the sentence.

"_No_." He insisted, his expression twisted with pain. "I screwed up. I acted selfishly and I put you in danger because of it, and that's…it's unforgivable and I'm sorry, I'm so…so sorry." As he forced the uncharacteristic words out, Yuri's stunned expression began to crumple even though she had clearly been trying not to cry. It was painful to watch, but nobody tried to step in as Gokudera continued.

"You've been in an awful situation, and you've survived through it on your own. Everything you said to the Tenth and I that night…you were right – you're strong and you don't need anyone to save or take care of you, but that doesn't mean you have to keep living like you have been!" He was speaking rapidly, the words spilling messily as he tried to get them all out as quickly as possible. "You'd have to be a complete idiot to go back to that place! What are you, some kind of twisted masochist?" Yuri flinched at that, a few tears finally slipping down her cheeks as she clenched her jaw, the harsh grinding of her molars almost audible.

"Oi, Gokudera," Yamamoto stepped forward, taking hold of the bomber's arm as his words suddenly grew more vicious, but Gokudera was quick to shake him off.

"Tch! Shut up, I know! My _fucking_ point is-!" Taking a deep breath, he steadied his temper and tightened his own grip on Yuri's shoulders, holding her in place as if she might run away at any moment. When he spoke again, his voice was impressively level. "My _point_ is…I can't let that happen. I can't possibly live with myself, knowing you're slowly killing yourself in that shithole, knowing that I put you there. I won't let you. I won't move from this spot until I know that you're not going back."

His face was wrought with multiple emotions as he roughly yanked her into an awkward hug, holding her so tightly it felt as though he were desperately trying to keep her from floating away. "I won't let it happen." He promised. "No more, Yuri. It's over."

"…stop," She finally spoke, her voice breathy and weak. "Stop, stop, just _stop it_, _please_," She begged, voice wobbling uncontrollably as she reached up slowly and pushed uselessly against the boy's arms. Her head was angled as far down as she could push it, bangs falling over her eyes so that her expression was unreadable, little more than a shadow. "Let me _go_."

"Like hell. As long as you plan on going back to that place, I won't budge an inch."

"Don't be such an _idiot_," She continued to struggle, but her attempts were weakening quickly. "I can't just-"

"You don't need to torture yourself."

"What are you-?"

"No, damn it woman, just listen to me. None of this is your fault."

All at once, she stopped struggling.

"_Don't_." It wasn't a plea this time, but a command.

"It's not your fault."

"Stop it, just…stop."

"It's not your-" With a harsh, frustrated sound, Yuri finally pushed him hard enough to lose his balance, forcing him to let her go.

"_Don't screw with me!_" She screamed, fists clenched at her side as her entire body bowed under the weight of her emotion. "You think I don't want to make it all end? That I don't want to run away? Of course I do, but Benussi still _owns_ me, and as long as that's true, he'll make my life a living hell wherever I go! That's just the way things are, and if I have to live with that-!" Her voice cracked as she shouted, and she had to lower her voice to catch her breath. "If I have to live with that, then at least let me know that I've done something to deserve it."

Gokudera was clearly trying not to yell back as he shook his head over and over again, slowly stepping back towards her. Taking hold of her shoulders once more, he jostled her roughly.

"You really are an idiot, aren't you?" He scowled as her head wobbled slightly with the movement, bending down to flick her lightly on the forehead. She glowered right back at him. "Aneki's a hitman too, isn't she? So are Reborn and Shamal. They're the same as you, aren't they? Are you saying they all deserve to live the way you do?"

"No," Yuri pulled back at the implication. "It's not the same-"

"Don't flatter yourself," He cut her off with a roll of his eyes. "Being a hitman in the mafia is dirty work – do you honestly think you're the only one who has regrets?" She opened her mouth in an attempt to retort, but no sound came out. "If the Tenth was in that situation-"

"No." She cut in, refusing to look at him. Instead she stared at his feet, shaking her head slowly. "I…I wouldn't allow it."

Her words sent a sudden wave of elation through Tsuna. Just a little over two weeks ago, she had been saying she wouldn't do anything to help someone in need. Even if it wasn't dramatic or obvious, she had changed.

"So you do get it," Gokudera realized it too, the barest hint of a smile playing at his lips as he pinched the bridge of his nose with an exasperated sigh. "Look around you. Every person in this room cares – if you go back, you'll be hurting all of them. Isn't…" He rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly reminded of the ring battles against the Varia, and what Tsuna had told him when he had been prepared to throw his own life away. "…Being able to laugh together and have snowball fights and watch fireworks…that's what friends do. That's what we fight for, what the Tenth fights for. Isn't that what makes us a family?"

"…family?" She was giving him a strangely befuddled look. "What do you…? I'm not-"

"You _are_." Tsuna cut in. "You're a friend that we treasure, and that's as good as family for me. Please don't think for a second that we don't think of you as much. We may not share any blood, but we're all willing to be your family if you'll let us."

For a moment that seemed to stretch into an eternity, she simply stood there, arms hanging limply at her sides, stoic expression betraying nothing of what was going on behind her eyes.

Then, finally, she began to move. Slowly, side to side, she shook her head and lifted trembling fingers to her face, hiding it with her hands as she stood there, just shaking, shaking, shaking. She inhaled sharply several times before speaking.

"Is it really-" Her words were quavering violently, and her voice was taking on that nasally tone one gets when their nose is completely blocked with mucus – but they had no trouble understanding her next words. "Is it really okay for someone like me to feel so happy?"

Gokudera gave Tsuna a hesitant glance, unsure of what his next move should be. Now that she wasn't putting up much of a fight anymore…well, he was at a loss. He knew how to deal with an argumentative, stubborn girl. He didn't know how to deal with a crying one. But Tsuna just gave him a slightly pained smile with a small nod, and the bomber's heart filled with pride. His boss was entrusting the task to him.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward and stretched his arms out to her, his cheeks reddening as he consciously tried to emulate his sister to the best of his ability, something he never imagined he'd do. It was doubtful that anyone would ever describe him as "motherly", and yet here he was, trying to act the part.

As he was trying to come to terms with it, Yuri suddenly leaned into him, buried her face in his shoulder, her body quaking, trembling, just shaking and shaking and shaking.

When she finally allowed herself to cry, it didn't even sound like crying. It was nothing like the night outside the brothel, or just earlier that day in the graveyard. It was a desperate, ragged gasping that made everyone's hands curl into tight fists, forced them to look away.

She was clutching Gokudera's coat, clinging to him like he was her last hope, the only thing anchoring her to the world right then, and he was gripping her just as tightly, suddenly filled with the strange sense that she was about to fade away completely at any moment.

Everyone felt it, but Tsuna gave all of them a stern look that glued them in place. Truthfully, he wanted to rush to her side and try to make all of the pain disappear more than anyone else. But he stayed still, trying to take refuge in the knowledge that this was what she needed. She was pushing years of grief, misery, and sorrow, out of her heart. It wouldn't fix everything, not by a long shot, but it was a painful step towards recovery, and that was a step she had to take on her own. Any help they tried to give could only get in the way of that. All they could do was stand aside and wait out the storm. And though it took time, it did eventually pass.

Her gasping sobs quieted and slowed to soft sniffles, and her death grip on Gokudera began to loosen. Suddenly, the tension that had previously filled the room was gone – it was safe again, the sense that she was drowning gone from sight, and Tsuna knew they weren't going to lose this battle. Not today.

Finally, she pulled away from Gokudera and began wiping at the mess of tears and snot smeared across her face.

"Yuri," Tsuna chose to speak up then, giving her no time to feel embarrassed as he stepped around the desk. It was time to talk. "If you had the option, then…would you choose to come with us?"

"…what?" She gave him a confused look, still wiping at her nose, her voice thick with congestion. "How does that…?"

"Listen – there's something you need to know," Tsuna said, taking a deep breath. "Last night, we didn't just learn about the new assignment. We learned about…you."

_"So if we stabilize the energy…then what?" _Gokudera had asked, after Lyric explained how they could do so. _"What happens to it?"_

_"Well, that's the question isn't it?" _She had chuckled with a wide grin. _"Let me tell you something: __what you saw when she lit the ring just now actually looked much worse than it really is. Corrupted energy doesn't harmonize well with normal rings, so it's displayed differently as well. If used with a ring that's actually designed to support the corruption, the flame would still look weak, but not so sickly. It would actually look like a flame, for one," _As she spoke, Lyric fished a ring out of her own pocket and slipped it onto her finger. _"And if it's given what it needs, it has the power to become something just as beautiful as the seven 'pure' flames." _Curling her fingers into a fist, a brilliant flame came to life. It was still black in color, making it look eerie, but still just as dazzling as any of theirs. _"At that point, it develops its own characteristic and ability: dispersione – dispersion. It's derived directly from the coping mechanism I explained earlier. Because of this property, it gained its own name – we call them Wind Flames."_

_"…wait. Do you mean…?" _Tsuna's gaze dropped to the ring on her finger. It wasn't quite identical, but it looked similar to the Vongola rings.

_"Looks like it's about time to pass these on to the next generation, doesn't it Timoteo?" _

_"Indeed," _The Ninth replied, fixing his gaze on the boys. _"It seems it's time to reveal one more Vongola secret."_

_"This is something you…I mean…what?"_

_"Let me explain with a short history lesson," _The Ninth responded, laughing at Tsuna's flustered response. _"Corrupt flames have existed for as long as the flames of the sky have, they're simply much rarer. When the first generation learned of them, they recognized the potential in them – wielders of a corrupt flame have experience with situations that no human being should ever be subjected to. This makes them dangerous and unstable, but Primo also recognized the other side of the coin: if harnessed correctly, the flames could provide great strength. He wanted the Vongola to remain true to its ideals, and he took measures to ensure this would happen – this primarily took form through CEDEF. In secret, however, he formed another group: 'I Negativi'."_

_"The Negatives?" _Gokudera asked, and the Ninth nodded.

_"Using corrupt flames was a controversial idea at the time, so the only individuals that were aware of the group's formation were Primo's guardians – no one else. The members that made up I Negativi were scattered throughout the family, maintaining mundane jobs as servants, chefs, messengers, and so on. To the public eye, they were faceless and unimportant…but they were core members of the family, a second set of guardians in a way."_

_"I don't completely understand," _Tsuna admitted, tilting his head. _"What was their function?" _

_"I Negativi, in Primo's words, are to function as the famiglia's very last resort. Should the Vongola ever fall, I Negativi will preserve its history and heritage, rebuilding it from its ashes. On the other hand, should the Vongola grow too corrupt, I Negativi will uphold its history and heritage, and they will eradicate its very existence. You see, something like that can only be accomplished with a power as utterly destructive as the corrupted flames. I Negativi hides in the shadows of the family, and they will only emerge when the worst case scenario arises. But they are true members of the family, as integral as your guardians – and I believe you've just found your first member." _

"That's…" As Tsuna wrapped up the explanation, Yuri found herself speechless. Her cheeks were dry and her eyes were already beginning to swell, but that didn't keep her from staring at him with an almost comical look of wide-eyed awe.

"You understand, right?" He asked, uncurling his fingers as he stepped forward, displaying the exact same ring that Lyric had worn.

"I can't possibly possess something like that, the…wind," She protested, shaking her head. "You saw what happened when I tried last night – it was…putrid. It looked nothing like your flames."

"There's only one way to be sure, though." Tsuna insisted, holding the ring out. Her hand was clutched to her chest while she stared at the small loop in fear – she was too afraid to get her hopes up. "Please, Yuri…remember what I said about trust? If you can't trust anything else, then trust me." She continued to stare at it in fear, but her fingers slowly began to unfurl after a moment. Stretching her right hand out, she allowed him to slip the band onto her middle finger. "Go ahead," He encouraged. "Just like you did yesterday."

She had her fingers curled into a tight fist, trying hard to hide their quaking. Taking a deep breath, she clenched her jaw and squeezed her eyes shut. For a moment, nothing happened…she simply stood silently with her fist held out. It was only when blood began to well around her nails, which were digging deeply into the skin of her palm, that color suddenly sprang to life over the ring – and this time, it was a true flame.

"EXTREEEEEEEEEEMMMMEEEE!" Ryohei was the first to react, punching the air as the others let out their own excited cheers. Yuri's eyes snapped open as the commotion reached her ears, and she froze, staring at the flame she had lit in astonishment.

"I knew you could do it," Tsuna whispered with a relieved smile. "You know what this means, don't you? If you accept the role, you'll be a core member of the Vongola. We'll have the right to completely free you from that establishment – Benussi won't have any power over you…you could come with us." The thought of victory made him giddy with excitement. "What do you say, Yuri? Will you join our family?"

He only caught a glimpse of her face stretching into a teary, relieved smile before she dropped to one knee, bowing her head and clenching her right fist over her heart – a proper bow of respect and loyalty.

"You'll have my allegiance until the end of time," Drops of moisture appeared on the ground as her voice danced with tear-stained laughter. "Boss."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Wow, it's been a while since I updated - almost exactly one month! Here, have about 10K words to make up for it x) Hope it wasn't too long! I've been pretty excited to get to this point in the story, and I can't believe I've finally made it! I know fan flames are popular, but I wanted to try and rationalize how they might be worked into the story without completely breaking canon - I put a lot of thought into it, and I really hope it makes sense! In any case, this marks the end of this particular 'story arc' - we're heading to the states next! As always, thanks so much for reading , following, and reviewing - and until next time, take care!


	10. Plans

Reborn barely made a sound as he strode through the bar, making his way toward the very back corner. The smoke-filled establishment was blasting loud music through the speakers, which, while rough on the senses, created the perfect place to have a private conversation. One could never be too careful or wary of prying eyes and ears.

"Evening," He said casually, sticking his hands in his pockets as he approached the nondescript door. It sat inconspicuously against the back wall, and unless a person specifically knew to look for it, they would pass right by none the wiser. "The stars are pretty bright tonight."

A moment passed silently before he was able to hear the click of a lock being slid aside. As the door swung open, he stepped in quickly before it could slam shut again. "You know, that's a stupid thing to have people say when it's the middle of the day."

"Well, we don't usually have that issue," The sentry manning the door replied with a lighthearted grin as he stepped out of the shadows. "But everyone out there is drunker than a skunk no less than one hundred percent of the time, so it doesn't really pose much of a problem."

"That's not how I remember it."

"Things change."

"You don't say…" Reborn's eyes narrowed slightly as he glanced at the shotgun slung casually over the man's shoulder. "Running into some issues?"

"You know how it is," He shrugged. "The more progress we make, the more opposition we'll have to deal with. We don't exactly hold a popular opinion, but it's nothing we can't handle."

"It's the third time you've relocated."

"The afore-mentioned opposition is getting bolder, more aggressive, but the boss is adamant that we hold off on…well, you know. She wants to keep bloodshed down to a minimum."

"I'm aware."

"Speaking of, you probably shouldn't keep her waiting," Pulling strap of the rifle further up his shoulder, the man pointed down the dimly lit hall. "Welcome back, by the way."

"Thanks," The hitman replied curtly as he left, making his way down the hall and coming to a stop by the only door left slightly ajar in the area. "Ciaossu."

"Are you not going to come in?" A feminine voice called from within – the clear undertone of irritation hidden in the sound brought a smirk to his face.

"It's considered good manners in most parts of the world to wait until you've been invited," Stepping in, he found the room to be even darker than the rest of the building. A set of heavy curtains covered the only window in the room, though slivers of light still managed to sneak around its edges, illuminating the silhouette of a woman sitting in the center of the room, a glass of wine in her hands. He frowned, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the new level of darkness. "Light sensitive?"

"It's about time you visited," She commented with a sigh. Though she didn't answer his question directly, his frown only deepened as he interpreted her response.

"Has it been that long already?" He asked, hopping up onto the table.

"I guess we've both been busy," She murmured.

"Still…I assume those sunglasses aren't just a fashion statement." She only scoffed in response, lifting the wine glass to her lips and taking a large swig of the red liquid.

"The migraines," She muttered as an answer. "They wait for no man. And, well…newbies are starting to pour in. I got used to it a long time ago, but all the staring really starts to slow things down sometimes."

As his eyes adjusted, Reborn could clearly see that her hair was pulled back, revealing the scars stretching up the side of her neck and face, right up into her hairline. She was wearing a pantsuit, so he couldn't see the state of her shoulder and arm, but he could see the inflamed tissue peeking out under the cuff of her sleeve.

"It's no wonder – they're getting worse." He could only imagine what she was hiding behind those glasses.

"Are they now?" She snorted.

"Don't kid around," He scolded. "If I need to stay-"

"Oh, don't get so agitated," Tilting her head back, she swallowed the last of her wine and set the glass down on the table. "That works just fine for them, but you and I both know we'd sooner go crazy. I know my limits – I just lost track of time, that's all. In fact, even with all of this," She waved her hand over the scarred tissue. "I'd probably still be insisting that less time had passed if it weren't for the fact that you've _grown_."

"Oi," Reborn snapped as she took off his hat and placed a flat palm against the top of his head, measuring his height.

"This is kind of exciting. I can't wait to see you twenty years from now."

"It'll be just like old times."

"I should hope not," She groaned, placing her head in her hands. "By then my work had better be finished. Everything had better be different."

"You've been more active than usual lately."

"No kidding…but I can't really complain. Aura's plans are starting to come together – I feel like I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel for the first time, and I think I might even be catching on to what she's trying to do."

"You've been talking to her?" Reborn blinked in surprise. "Regularly?"

"Oh, don't be like that," She frowned in response. "You know that she'll contact you when the time is right. I have a feeling it might be sooner than you think, too, and then you'll see that being a part of her plans isn't all rainbows and sunshine."

"Are you talking about the Tri-ni-set?"

"The Tri-ni-set!" She exclaimed, tossing her hands up in the air. "Oh yes, that's been a real walk in the park! You know, that student of yours is clever – the pacifier jar isn't a bad idea at all, and I can't say it isn't eons better than the alternative. It's still unstable, though. Bermuda's doing an impressive job of maintaining it, but…"

"You've been putting in an impressive amount of effort yourself." She let out a bitter laugh in response.

"Well, my motives aren't any nobler than Bermuda's. I only took on the job for the sake of the others, to make sure there wouldn't be any more like us. Now that the entire curse has been nullified, I'm not really sure why I'm doing it." Resting her chin against her knuckles, she sighed heavily and lifted a finger to point at the pacifier around his neck. "It hurts to see that, you know, more than the headaches or the scars. Every time I see it, I know that it should have been mine, and I don't know whether to hate you or thank you for taking it from me."

"It wasn't my choice, either way," He stepped forward as she let out a long groan, taking a seat directly in front of her.

"I know. I don't-"

"Just shut up and let me do what I came to do already," He chided curtly. "You get annoyingly chatty when you're even just slightly drunk."

"Fair enough," She sighed, reaching her fingers into the collar of her shirt and pulling out a chain necklace, a pacifier dangling from the end. Spidery hairline cracks ran along its surface, and a dull opaque smoke swirled slowly within.

"That looks bad," He muttered. "Hang on."

Reaching out, he gingerly placed his fingers against the surface of the cracked glass, the area around his hand already glowing yellow. Slowly, his flames began to seep into the pacifier through the cracks, mixing with the smoky substance like an injection. Gradually, the cloudy color began to dissipate, its rotation growing faster and faster as the sun flames activated it, until they could no longer tell that it was moving at all.

"That should do it."

She let out a relieved sigh as she took the pacifier, now perfectly clear, save for a subtle distortion of the light here and there, and tucked it back under her shirt with one hand as she rubbed at her neck with the other. Reborn could already see the agitated red scars beginning to calm down and recede, right before his eyes. Within just a few minutes, they were back to being contained on her jaw and neck, pale and only slightly puckered.

"That's…much better," She sighed, her fingers still tracing the outline of the damaged tissue on her neck. "I owe you-"

She was about to continue speaking, but a knock on the door from the other side of the room interrupted her.

"_Scusi, Signora _Trinity?"

"Just a moment!" She replied.

"I guess I should take my leave then – is there anything else?"

"Just one thing," Taking off her glasses with a small grin, she blinked hard several times. Her right eye was its usual shade of amber, and the smoke was receding from her left, though it was still a milky white. "Have you seen Yuni recently?"

"Relatively," Reborn replied, frowning slightly in concern. "What do you need from her?"

"Just to know that she's well," Trinity replied, standing and walking over to the window. Grabbing the curtains, she flung them aside, bathing the room in the waning mid-afternoon light. "We're quickly approaching the point where her role will come into play."

"…and what will that entail?" She glanced over her shoulder, giving him a knowing smile.

"All in good time. Patience is a virtue." Turning around, she leaned back against the window, her expression turning into one of sympathy. "I'm aware of all that she's been though. I'd never dream of asking for more sacrifice…there's been too much of that. The tides are turning, and not a moment too soon."

Another hesitant knock came from the door as she finished speaking.

"I'd better let you get to it, then." Reborn muttered, hopping off of the table.

"I guess so," She chuckled, moving towards the door. "Things to do, places to be...take care, Reborn."

"Ah." As he squeezed back through the door he had entered through, Trinity moved to open the other one.

"Yuriko," She grinned as the younger girl bowed her head slightly in greeting, holding out a thin folder as she did so.

"I know it's premature, but-"

"I heard." Stretching her hand out, Trinity took the folder and began flipping through its contents. "When do you leave?"

"In just a few hours."

"I'm glad to hear it. Thank you for all the work you've put in."

"No…thank you," Running her fingers through her hair, Yuri glanced out the window. "It feels like this place is the only thing that kept me sane over the years. I had no reason to believe things would ever get better, and if it weren't for you…well."

"Don't act like this is the last time we'll ever see each other," Closing the folder, Trinity nodded towards the ring that now adorned Yuri's finger. "You'll be invaluable to us now, you know. When's the next time you'll be visiting?"

"I'm not sure," Yuri admitted, lifting her hand to stare at the ring herself. "But I don't have any doubts left. It's him. I'm sure of it."

"It's good to hear your vote of confidence. Things have been set in motion, after all. If we have to backtrack, it'll be a real pain in the neck." Lifting her fingers to the scar on her neck, she winked playfully. "No pun intended."

"I had my doubts at first, but they were…misguided. He won't let you down. None of them will." Trinity's eyebrows lifted in surprise as she spoke.

"You're pretty loyal." It was more of a statement than a question, but Yuri still nodded in response. "Well, if they've managed to gain your trust this quickly, they must really be something special."

"…well…" It was neither an affirmation nor a denial, which made Trinity chuckle.

"You never were very good at expressing your feelings – work on that while you're away. Imagine the day when you can crack a smile around me." Setting the folder on the table, she turned to look out the window again, her lighthearted smile slowly being replaced by a thoughtful frown. "Ushering in so many changes…we're kind of like ducks, aren't we?"

"…Ducks. As in…?"

"Calm on the surface, but paddling like crazy where no one can see."

* * *

><p>The box was thin and black, small enough to fit in Yuri's pocket, though just barely. It was plain and unremarkable, with nothing to connect it back to the Vongola.<p>

"Well, I think that just about wraps things up," Lyric said, uncrossing her legs and pushing herself out of her seat with a groan.

"You're sure you want to trust me with these?" Yuri asked hesitantly.

"You've proven yourself to be capable," The Ninth repeated for the third time that evening.

"Besides, you're in the best position to find the rest of them." Lyric added.

"I don't quite understand that part," Yuri muttered, setting the box gingerly on her lap. "These Negatives, they're just…people that have had a hard time? That's a pretty broad demographic, and I don't think I'm exactly the type of person anyone would want to bare their soul to."

"It's more than that. Just trust me, you'll know. It's a gut feeling more than something that you can intellectualize. Have a little faith in yourself." Giving Yuri a reassuring pat on the shoulder as she passed, Lyric pulled open the doors and began shouting out into the hallway. "All right boys, this may not be an airport but I still have a flight plan to follow! In exactly ten minutes, I will be taxiing down the runway regardless of whether or not you're on board! Let's get moving!"

"Ah, wait wait wait!" A familiar voice cried out in panic, closely followed by a loud crash.

"T-Tenth! Oi, woman-!"

"Now now, Gokudera, calm down! Let's just hurry and get the rest of this packed up, we're almost done!"

"Well how do you suggest we get this suitcase clo-? O-oi, Turftop, what the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"Onii-san? W-what are you doing all the way up the-?"

"_EXTREME JUMP!_"

"Oh for crying out loud…" Lyric muttered as another loud crash and several raised voices filled the building, finally letting the door shut as she left to conduct damage control.

"…" Even after the noise died down, Yuri could only stare blankly at the door. "I've made a terrible decision." She whispered quietly, making the Ninth laugh.

"They're certainly lively. Speaking of packing, I hope our last minute briefing hasn't kept you for too long."

"Not at all, I finished packing this morning. Thank you for the clothes, by the way." Glancing down at her small duffel bag, she let herself smile slightly. It was the first time in years that she had the freedom to wear anything long enough to completely cover up her legs.

"I just wish you would let us give you more."

"No, this is really more than enough. I'd prefer to travel light for now, until I get things…sorted out."

"Fair enough," Standing, the Ninth gestured toward the door. "I suppose I should let you get going, then. I'm looking forward to the next time you visit. There are plenty of materials on the Negativi's history that have been locked away for years; I've been waiting for an excuse to get them back out."

"In that case, I can't wait." Stepping towards the door, she bowed politely. "Thank you, for ev-"

"_FIVE MINUTES!_" Lyric's voice blasted through the hall as Yuri opened the door, and she had to step back as several figures shot by quickly enough to rustle her hair and clothes.

"_Extremely_ _late_!"

"Go, go, go! Tsuna, hurry!"

"Wait, where's my-?"

"I have it, Tenth!"

"…" Taking a deep breath, Yuri stared ahead expressionlessly. "Hm."

"Well, that's probably your cue to take off, then." The Ninth smiled good-naturedly.

"Yuri!" Gokudera came to a clumsy stop in front of the door, Tsuna just a few feet in front of him. "What are you doing? Come on!"

Grabbing her by the wrist, he took off yet again, yanking her along behind him.

"Ow, quit pulling! I'm going already!"

"A-ah," Tsuna stuttered as they passed him, turning around to call out to the Ninth over his shoulder while following them. "Thank you for everything! We'll see you next time!"

"Have a safe trip!"

Falling off balance, Tsuna quickly turned back around to make sure he didn't fall as he caught up to the other two. Together, they stumbled out onto the runway, where the plane's engine was already running; Yamamoto and Ryohei stood on its steps, gesturing wildly as they tried to yell loudly enough to be heard over the deafening sound.

"Glad to see you could make it," Lyric chuckled as the five of them all crashed into the cabin. "Get yourselves buckled up."

"Crazy woman," Gokudera growled as they slowly picked themselves up.

"Wow, kid, you've got a temper that could have matched Coyote's back in the day." She commented, lifting a hand to her mouth in an attempt to hide her amused expression. "Yuriko, you can head on back – we've got someone there to forge you some new papers."

"Forge?" Tsuna asked as the girl nodded wordlessly.

"You're still too naïve, dame-Tsuna," He let out a small yelp as Reborn suddenly leapt on top of his head, kicking off of it painfully in order to board the plane. "And don't stand around blocking the entrance."

"O-ow…" Tsuna groaned, rubbing his head. "Naïve?"

"She's been living in Italy her entire life, the last several years of which were spent as a hitman. At the very least, she'll need a passport and some form of identification that won't lead back to her history here."

"Hm…" Tsuna hummed thoughtfully as they all made their way into their seats. "I guess I just never thought about it…"

"Decimo," A man sitting in the back stood, bowing awkwardly in the confined space. "It's an honor."

"A-ah," Though the man surprised him, Tsuna found himself lowering his head automatically. "It's all mine."

Nothing about the exchange seemed particularly strange, except for the odd look Yuri shot him.

"That response was…faster than usual," She said after a moment, making Tsuna and the others blink in surprise. When had he begun reacting naturally to his title?

"You must be Yuriko," The man turned to her, completely oblivious to the others' reactions. "Here have a seat."

Hesitantly, she slid into the spot beside him as he began to pull out various odd looking tools. Curious about the process, Tsuna decided to take the seat in front of them while Gokudera claimed the one beside him, both of them twisting around to peek over their headrests.

"I assume you don't have any official paperwork of any sort at the moment – birth certificates and the like?" The man asked, rifling through several folders and spreading them out across the small tray in front of him.

"No." Yuri replied quietly.

"Alright, then I'll need you to fill out a basic form," Pulling a small packet of papers and a pen from his briefcase, he slid them over to her. "You can use your real information for things like date of birth, blood type, height and weight, et cetera. Anything that relates to your past, however, you'll have to fabricate. Your place of birth, mother's maiden name, education…keep it simple, something that you'll easily be able to memorize and recite if you need to."

"Fabricate her entire history?" Tsuna asked in disbelief as Yuri began writing.

"Sounds fun!" Yamamoto laughed. "How often do you get a chance like that?"

"Put down that you're an extreme boxer!" Ryohei jumped in, straining to see what she was writing. "You can join the boxing club as soon as we get back!"

"I'm not going to put that down, Sasagawa," She replied tersely, pressing her lips into a thin line. "You said I have to lie about my place of birth?"

"That's right." The man replied. "Is there a problem?"

"You're assuming I was born in Italy?"

"Were you not?" She frowned, shaking her head.

"I don't remember it, but my mother and I came here when I was about two. I was born in Japan."

"Eh?" Tsuna asked in surprise. "Really?"

"Hokkaido," She said with a nod, "I think. A village in one of its subprefectures, um…Oshi…?" She glanced up, trying to recall its name.

"Oshima?" Yamamoto provided.

"Yes," She affirmed with a surprised tone.

"I didn't know you were good at geography," Tsuna spoke up, no less astounded.

"Lucky guess!" The swordsman replied with a lighthearted laugh, drawing a skeptical sound from Gokudera.

"In any case," Yuri turned back to the man before the conversation got derailed. "I want to put that down."

"Well, if it was that long ago, I don't see any reason not to." Though her face didn't change as she nodded and went back to writing, Tsuna could see her shoulders fall subtly, as though she were breathing out a small sigh of relief. "Oh, and don't forget to choose a new surname."

"Wha…e-even her surname?" Tsuna stuttered.

"It's probably the most important thing to change, actually. No point in fabricating a new identity when your name gives it all away."

"B-but…" Biting his lip, Tsuna looked down. He couldn't argue against it, but he found the idea too sad. As it was, there was so little that Yuri had to call her own, and now she had to get rid of something as abstract as her own name, the only thing she had been able to protect over the years. An identity couldn't possibly be something that could be so easily overwritten, could it?

"…Boss," He glanced up in surprise as Yuri spoke, her lips curled into a small reassuring smile. "It's fine."

"But-"

"It's fine," She repeated, bending back over the paper. "It's hardly even a sacrifice, considering what it gains me."

"Eh?"

"A family," Gokudera prompted softly when Tsuna's confused expression persisted.

"Oh." The bomber understood, Tsuna realized. Gokudera had faced and felt nothing but rejection throughout his childhood. Many saw him as a high class pianist rather than a young boy, other mafias hadn't allowed him to join when he tried, and he had no way of knowing how his parents truly felt about him. It wasn't until he came to Japan and became a member of the Vongola, of their family, that he felt accepted as a person.

The thought made Tsuna's chest grow warm. Though his own story wasn't nearly as tragic, he had that in common with the bomber – before meeting his family, he had never experienced so much happiness. Even though the trials they faced were scary and difficult, he would never regret having met all of them.

"Right," He murmured with a smile.

"What are you going to pick?" Yamamoto asked, taking note of Yuri's befuddled expression as she chewed on the end of the pen.

"Sasagawa!" Ryohei immediately suggested. "I'll have _two_ extreme little sisters!"

"…" She could only give him an exasperated look as the pen fell from her mouth. "For the last time, I'm not going to-! Wait, you have a sister?"

"AH, KYOKO IS EXTREMELY-!"

"Save it," Yuri interrupted preemptively, putting her hand up to quiet him. "I _would_ like to hear about her, but I think I should finish this up first. I'll just wait to…" She paused for a moment, blinking as though something had just occurred to her. She couldn't help smiling slightly as she quietly finished her sentence, "to meet her myself."

It clearly took quite a bit of effort, but the boxer nodded, literally pinching his lips between his teeth in order to refrain from speaking.

"Do you need help thinking of a name?" Tsuna asked, eyeing Ryohei with a slightly disturbed expression.

"I'm not very familiar with Japanese names," She admitted, though she began scribbling furiously on a napkin as she spoke. "But I'd like to pay some sort of…homage to my mother, so I thought I could have it share a character with her first name."

As she wrote, she pushed her fingers into her hair and rested her forehead on her palm, biting her lip as she scratched out what she was writing over and over again.

"I'm not as good at writing as I am at speaking. I don't…" Slapping the pen down, she held the napkin out to Tsuna with a frustrated sigh. "Do any of these look right?"

"Um," Taking it, Tsuna scanned over the characters. Her stroke order was clearly wrong, and some of the characters were completely illegible, but several weren't. "Ai…Aika?"

"Y-yeah…" He smiled as she nodded nervously.

"I'm not so sure about the second character, but it looks like you're writing the 'ai' that means 'indigo', those are fairly consistent. Let me think," Turning his gaze upwards, he tapped his chin thoughtfully for a minute, before snapping his fingers and reaching for the pen. He scratched something out quickly, before handing the napkin back to her. "What do you think of this?"

"Ai…zawa?" She enunciated slowly, squinting slightly as she read the characters.

"It's a fairly common name, so nobody should find it suspicious."

"Aizawa Yuriko…" For a moment, she simply repeated the name over and over again under her breath, testing out the sound and feel of it in her mouth. Finally, she gave a small nod, leaning over the paper to fill it in with slow and careful strokes. "Okay."

"Done?" The man beside her leaned over to glance over the page. "Oops, looks like you missed one – right here, date of birth."

"Oh…right." Though her hand moved, fingers poised over the blank space, she hesitated. Twice, she touched the inky nib to its surface before pulling back again, chewing viciously on her lip.

"…Do…do you not know your birthdate?" Tsuna quickly deduced the reason behind her uncertainty.

"My mother was always busy with her work when I was younger, and she didn't always remember it whenever it passed." Yuri looked curiously ashamed to admit the fact, obscuring her reddening face behind her hands. "I had a few small parties when I was younger, but it was too long ago for me to remember what day they fell on."

"I'm sure we can figure it out," Tsuna encouraged. "The year should be easy enough to work out. You're sixteen, so-"

"What?" Her head snapped up. "That much time can't have already passed."

"Huh? But the Ninth said you were about a year older than me, and I'll be turning sixteen this October…"

"That can't be possible," She muttered, sticking her fingers out one by one as she counted out the years, her brow creasing in agitation.

"Can you remember what the weather was like on your birthdays?" Gokudera prompted. "If you can figure out the season, you can narrow down the months."

"Winter," She replied automatically. "There were snowmen, and…and Christmas trees."

"December, then?"

"It must be," Again, she began counting on her fingers, letting out a small breath of relief as she finished. "No, I should still be a few months away from sixteen."

"Eh?" Tsuna's eyebrows lifted. "Then why would…?"

"They must have guessed – I never told anyone my birth year. I shouldn't be sixteen until this Winter."

"That would be about right," Gokudera mused. "You and I should be around the same age, and my birthday is in September…"

Slowly, a mischievous grin began to spread over his face, and she let out a large groan.

"No." She sighed heavily as he began to chuckle, dropping her face into her arms so that her voice came out soft and muffled. "You are _not_ older than me."

"How long ago did we make that bet?"

"Long enough ago that it's now null and void."

"So you remember, then?"

"_No_," She hissed out adamantly, lifting her head back up to glare at him. "There's no way you're older."

"It sounds like I am, by at least three months."

"You can be so insufferable," She grumbled, face growing red.

"Well, Gokudera did once say that he considers anyone older than him to be the enemy…" Tsuna mused quietly.

"I'll take that over this any day."

"Is that any way to talk to your _senior_?" Gokudera teased.

"Oh, forgive me. Should I call you 'grandpa', then?"

"Wha-?!"

"You old geezer."

"Just try saying that again," Though it was an irritated one, he wore a teasing grin.

"Oh no," She gasped dramatically. "I think I can see your hairline receding!"

"You're just bitter because I'm older _and _taller, aren't you?"

"If you're older, you'll be the first one to need a cane! Who'll be taller _then_, huh?"

At this point, the other three boys had begun dissolving into badly contained snorts of laughter. It wasn't the first time Gokudera had participated in a childish argument, but it was strange to see Yuri on the other end of it, and the odd combination was turning out to be more entertaining than any of them would have expected.

"W-wait," Tsuna created a barrier between them with his arm as he tried to get his snickers under control. "I don't understand, what's so important about this?"

"Please don't ask," Another small snort escaped from him as Yuri let out a low wail, pulling the hood of her sweatshirt over her face.

"It was a bet we used to have," Gokudera explained, "On who was older and who would end up taller. The loser would have to shave their head."

"Don't be so juvenile," Yuri moaned pathetically as the boys let out another peal of laughter at the mental image of either them with shiny bald heads.

"We both know you'd do the same if our positions were switched!"

"Well…okay, _probably_. But look at how little I have as it is!" She leaned forward, gesturing at her hair frantically. "It wouldn't even be satisfying!"

"Your eyebrows, then," The bomber deadpanned.

"_No!_" She practically screamed, stretching the last syllable out as she slapped her palms over her eyes.

"A bet's a bet!"

"I refuse!"

"You can't just ref-!"

"Help me choose a birthdate!"

"Don't change the subject!"

"Wait, I can just put an earlier month down."

"What?!"

"Ha! Who's older now?"

"That…that's cheating!"

"Nobody will believe you! The papers don't lie!"

"Don't you dare!"

"I'm doing it," She teased, moving the pen towards the paper. "Should I put January or February?"

"Put the pen down!" With a wild growl, the bomber lunged over the seat and wrapped his fingers around the writing utensil, trying to pry it from her fingers.

"Wh-? Hey, stop-!"

"Give it to me!"

"You are such a child, oh my..._let go!_"

"Ow, that hurts, damn it!"

"Then let go!"

"Oi!"

"Why are you doing this to me?" At this point, they were just flailing their limbs wildly like toddlers throwing a temper tantrum while the others tried to keep a safe distance. "It's my pen!"

"It's not yours!"

"It's yours less!"

"What?"

"He gave it to me, so it's more mine than it is yours!"

"What kind of stupid logic is that?"

"Y-your face is stupid!"

"Is that the best you can come up with? You had better comebacks when we were eight!"

"Shut up!"

"Give me the pen!"

"No!"

"Let go!"

"Augh!"

"Crap! N-napkin!"

"_It's in my mouth!_"

"Whose fault is that?!"

"_Yours!_"

* * *

><p>"…so," Tsuna said softly, long after the pen debacle had more or less resolved itself. "Why the 24th?"<p>

"What?" Yuri glanced up with a confused expression as Tsuna slid into the seat next to her. Over the last several hours, each of them had begun drifting to sleep as day turned to night around them. When he got up to grab a cup of water, Tsuna was surprised to find Yuri curled up with a blanket and a book, the space around her illuminated by the overhead reading light.

"Your birthday," He explained. "I got a glimpse of the papers – you put December 24th."

"Oh," Closing the book, she shifted slightly so that she was facing him. "It's just a stupid old thing I used to tell myself…that my mother used to forget my birthday because it was on the same day as Christmas Eve. I thought it made sense, having it so close to such a big holiday – like trying to notice a crumb when it's beside a loaf of bread. It made it easier not to blame her."

"Oh…"

"Don't give me that look, boss," She said with a reserved smile. "It's just an idea that I got used to, and I guess I'm sort of attached to it now. It's really no big deal."

"I guess you're right," He rubbed the back of his neck with an awkward laugh. "Although Gokudera really thought you were going to put down an earlier month."

"Do _not_ tell him." Her expression grew deadly serious, making him chuckle.

"That argument was kind of unexpected." As he spoke, her cheeks grew red.

"It was…childish, I'll admit."

"I thought it was nice. You're always so serious – I think you only just convinced us all that you're actually human." Her mouth hung open for a few seconds, before simply closing and curling into a smile so small that Tsuna couldn't tell whether or not he was imagining it. "Oh, speaking of birthdays…I don't think Gokudera's ever brought his own up before, and we've never celebrated it with him. Earlier, he said it was in September – that's this month. You wouldn't happen to know which day, would you?"

"The parties his father threw for him were fairly memorable," She replied. "Always on September 9th."

"We missed it?" Tsuna asked with dismay. "That was almost two weeks ago."

"I don't think he'd be too hung up on the details. I'm sure we'll have at least one free day, too." Though she was trying to act uncaring, Tsuna could tell she was interested in the idea of organizing a party.

"…maybe a surprise party?" Tsuna mused with a broad grin. The more he thought about it, the more excited he grew.

"Maybe," Yuri agreed with a small twinkle in her eye, though she was making a strong effort to scowl. "He had better not expect a present from me. If anything, he owes me a new shirt."

"I'm surprised you haven't changed out of that yet," Tsuna laughed.

"Eh," She glanced down at the blotchy stain where the ink of the pen had landed when it finally snapped earlier. "I was barely able to get the ink off of my face, I don't think I have any hope of it washing out. Besides, I kind of like it – the shirt felt kind of boring before, but now it has a battle scar."

"If you say so," Tsuna laughed. "In any case, have you gotten any rest?"

"I'm not a very heavy sleeper," She replied, voice dropping to a whisper as Gokudera shifted and mumbled something in his sleep. "I have an especially hard time in foreign environments."

"Will you be alright?"

"Hm? Oh, I'll be fine. I've grown accustomed to functioning on a limited amount of rest, don't worry." Turning to look over her shoulder, she lifted the window shutter, revealing the sky slowly growing lighter outside. "Shouldn't we be getting close by now? You can see the city from here."

As if on cue, Lyric's voice crackled to life over the intercom.

"Good morning!" She was keeping her voice soft, but chipper enough to rouse the others from their slumber. "Sorry to wake you, kids, but I'm going to need to ask you all to make sure your seats are upright and your seatbelts buckled. We're beginning our descent, and we'll be touching down in about ten minutes. Take a minute to wake yourselves up and get your stuff together."

There was a short pause as everyone began shifting sleepily, before Lyric turned the intercom back on, "Oh, yeah – welcome to New York City, kiddos."


	11. The Big Apple

"Wow," Tsuna breathed, pressing his face closer to the window in an attempt to widen his range of vision. "It really is different from Namimori, isn't it?"

On the other side of the glass, New York's buildings and streets were creeping by as the van inched along with the traffic. Tsuna couldn't boast much knowledge of the city, but he never imagined it would be quite so crowded and lively. The buildings stretched high above their heads, tall enough to pierce the clouds while hundreds of people bustled around on foot below. It looked difficult to maneuver, but each individual walked with an impressive sure-footedness, dodging around people and obstacles alike with their chins tucked and their eyes forward. They reminded Tsuna of warriors, despite the lack of armor.

"Oi, get off of me, Turf-Top!" Blinking, Tsuna turned to look behind him. Gokudera was sputtering angrily, sandwiched between Ryohei and Yamamoto; the boxer was stretched out across the other two in an attempt to look out Yamamoto's window.

"That one!" He yelled excitedly, the concept of volume control utterly lost on him as he pointed at a building. "It's _extremely_ tall, the tallest!"

"Yep, looks like it!" Yamamoto agreed brightly. "It's pretty impressive!"

"What about it?" Gokudera growled.

"I'm going to _climb it!_" Statements like those shouldn't have surprised Tsuna anymore, but he couldn't suppress a small sound of surprise.

"Don't be an idiot," Forcing his palms against the boxer's face, Gokudera shoved him back into his seat. "Why the hell am I stuck back here with these morons while you're next to the Tenth?"

From the seat beside Tsuna, Yuri turned around to give him an impassive glance.

"Because I didn't waste my time arguing over who was more deserving of the spot. You do realize you're allowed to just _take_ the seat you want, right? Not everything is a test of your worth and pride."

"What would _you_ know about that? Are you planning to be his right hand man?"

"Well, seeing as I am sitting to his left…" She trailed off, suppressing a smirk as he sputtered indignantly behind her.

"D-don't kid around! Oi, Yuri-!"

"Ah. I've made it angry." She allowed her eyes to widen in mock fear as his narrowed menacingly. Reaching across the gap between their seats, she laid a hand dramatically on Tsuna's shoulder, making him laugh even though her expression remained stoic. "You run, I'll hold him off. Continue your legacy. Spread your messages. Don't let my sacrifice be in vain."

"What are you even rambling on about?" Gokudera yelled angrily, making her sigh.

"Relax. If it's really that important to you, I'll switch seats with you." Without so much as a moment of thought, the bomber began unbuckling his seatbelt.

"_Well?_" He asked impatiently, already standing with an expectant expression on his face.

"You're seriously taking me up on that?" Yuri asked in disbelief.

"You're the one that offered," He rebutted quickly.

"I-isn't that kind of dangerous?" Tsuna asked with a nervous glance up at the driver, who quickly tried to hide his amused smile with a cough.

"The traffic here is slower than a snail, I wouldn't say it's really life threatening. Just be quick."

"Okay, fine," Yuri groaned, releasing the buckle of her own seatbelt before standing up. The two took a moment to shuffle around each other awkwardly, stepping on each other's toes and jamming their elbows into each other's stomachs as a short string of angry curses flew from their lips.

"This is kind of fun!" Yamamoto laughed as Yuri finally flopped down beside him. "Like musical chairs – hey, Tsuna, let's switch spots too!"

"E-eh?"

"Oh, good idea!" Ryohei agreed, the two boys moving to unbuckle their seat belts as well.

"If the Tenth is moving back there, then so am I," Gokudera announced indignantly, unbuckling his own seatbelt yet again. "Yuri, switch back with me!"

"It's no fun if she goes back to her original seat," Yamamoto objected, stretching to step over her. "Here, I'll switch with you."

"Sawada! Let's make an extreme jump!"

"W-what? Wait, you aren't serious-" Tsuna could only stammer nervously as his friends had clearly set their minds to the task at hand.

"On three!"

"You're serious, aren't you?"

"One!"

"Ah, that looks kind of dangerous," Yamamoto commented with a nervous smile. "Gokudera, let's hurry and get out of their way."

"You don't need to tell me that, baseball idiot. You can do it, Tenth! I'll be waiting over there!"

"Wait wait wait! That's impossible, we can't jump over-!"

"Two! Get ready, Sawada!"

"Why me?!"

"Thr-!"

"Both of you," Both instigators suddenly found themselves lurching backwards as Yuri grabbed them by the collar of their shirts and hauled them back into their seats with an exasperated growl. "_Sit_ back down."

"Whoa," Yamamoto laughed lightheartedly, rubbing his neck. "You're kind of strong, aren't you?"

"You would make an extreme addition to the boxing club!"

"How do you two focus on anything?" Yuri muttered, ignoring both of their comments as she pressed a pair of fingers to her temple.

"Calm down, all of you," Reborn finally spoke up from his seat up in the front. "We're here."

"Where's 'here'?" Tsuna asked with a tinge of excitement.

"Probably the best hotel New York has to offer," Their chauffeur replied as several bellhops ran out to greet them. "Important people from all over the world usually come to stay here, so their entire staff is made up of polyglots. There should be someone assigned as your personal translator waiting inside."

"W-wow," Again, Tsuna found himself slack jawed. Now that he was out of the car, he was able to see the luxurious building in its entirety.

"Wow!" Yamamoto agreed, climbing out next to him. "I can't wait to see what it looks like inside!"

As they maneuvered around the car to pull their luggage out of the trunk, one of the bellhops approached them, bowing as he gestured towards the hotel's extravagant entrance. "Right this way, please. We'll take care of your bags."

As the men and women stretched their arms out, each of the teens started handing their bags over, except for Yuri.

"No." She frowned, knuckles growing white as her fingers curled tightly around the straps of her duffel bag.

"They'll be perfectly safe, miss. We'll just be carting them up to your rooms-"

"I'm fine, I can take it myself."

"Really, it's no-"

"Do _not_," Her chin lowered determinedly, making her glower look all the more menacing. "Make me repeat myself."

"Uh…" The man tried to meet her intimidating gaze, but ended up bowing his head once more. "O-of course."

"Hmm," Yamamoto gave her a strange look as they walked into the lobby, leaving the bellhops to shuffle nervously behind them. "Are you alright? You've been kind of quiet and cranky the whole way over."

"Now that he mentions it," Tsuna turned around to look at her more closely. "You do look a little pale. Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine." It didn't look as though she had any intention of elaborating. Even if she did, she wouldn't have had the chance as a man in a finely tailored suit approached them with an excited greeting.

"Welcome to New York, Vongola Tenth! It's an honor to meet you in person – my name is Jonathan, I'll be serving as your interpreter over the duration of your assignment, as well as whenever else you might need me. Oh, and this must be your family!"

"Uh…" Tsuna stared at him with wide eyes for a few seconds, unsure of what to make of the man's loud and sudden appearance. "Y-yeah…I mean, um, yes…thank you."

"Of course, it's such a pleasure to meet all of you!" After bowing deeply, Jonathan sprang back upright like a jack-in-the-box, six cards suddenly fanned out in his hands. "You've already been checked in, so you can head directly up to your rooms – you've each been given a private suite, courtesy of the Ninth."

"E-each of us?" Tsuna's surprised squeak was quickly drowned out by Gokudera's own angry exclamation.

"Absolutely _not_! We're in a foreign country, who knows what kind of people might try to hurt the Tenth? As his right hand man, I must be there with him at all times!"

"G-gokudera," Tsuna's hands bobbed through the air nervously in a small 'settle down' gesture. "That's going a bit far."

"It may not be likely, but you shouldn't rule out an assassination attempt," Yuri's voice was accompanied by an uncharacteristically concerned expression. "I have to agree with him on this one, Boss. I'd feel more comfortable knowing someone was at your side."

"E-eh…" Tsuna scratched the back of his neck nervously as Gokudera took on a smug expression. "Well, I guess it would be fine – having an entire suite all to myself sounds a bit over the top, anyways."

"That can be arranged!" Jonathan grinned, flipping one of the cards into his pocket. "So, just five rooms, then?"

"I think I'd get bored being in a giant room all by myself," Yamamoto mused, turning to Ryohei with an outstretched hand. "What do you say, shall we room together as well?"

"That sounds extremely interesting!" Tsuna watched the two athletes shake on it as though they were making a pact, and wondered whether or not he should warn the hotel ahead of time for all the expenses in damage that were headed their way.

"I couldn't agree more," Jonathan flipped another card into his pocket, laughing lightheartedly. "So, four rooms?"

"I think s-" Tsuna cut himself off as he looked at Yuri. Her expression (or rather, her distinct lack of one) gave nothing away, but he got the impression that she was feeling anxious. Was she feeling left out? Or, taking what she said about assassination attempts into consideration, perhaps she was nervous about spending the nights on her own?

"If everyone is pairing off, it might be easier for Yuri and I to do the same – I don't exactly take up much space." Reborn suddenly offered, and Tsuna had to wonder if the hitman had reached the same conclusion. "If you don't mind, that is."

"No," As Yuri shook her head, Tsuna could practically see the tension leaving her shoulders. "That's not a problem."

"You've managed to turn six rooms into three!" Jonathan flipped one last card into his pocket before handing the remaining three out to them. "As expected of the Vongola! Feel free to head right on up; I'll take care of the changes at the front desk. You'll find the room numbers on your cards."

Tsuna thanked him once more, his face growing red as the man bowed with a small flourish of his white-gloved hands, looking more like an ostentatious magician than a translator. Once they had all piled into the elevator, waving at Jonathon with strained smiles, Yuri allowed herself to grimace freely the moment the doors slid shut.

"No one should be that happy," She muttered with a frown. "It's unnatural."

"He gives me the creeps," Gokudera agreed quickly.

"Really?" Yamamoto, ever the optimist, didn't seem so sure. "I thought he just looked excited!"

"A man must be extreme about his passions!" Ryohei nodded with fire in his eyes.

"What's your feeling, Tsuna?" Reborn asked, hopping up onto his shoulder.

"Me? Um…I guess he's…eccentric?"

"You're being too kind, Tenth," Gokudera growled in response. "I don't like him."

"You say that about everyone, though!" Yamamoto laughed, gaining an angry glare.

"You'll only have to interact with him a few times, he's only necessary for the assignment itself," Reborn placated as the elevator came to a stop with a pleasant little '_ding!_' that signaled the doors to open. "For now, just get settled in and catch up on your rest if you need to. This is more or less an extended vacation at this point, you may as well enjoy yourselves."

"Extended vacation?" Tsuna repeated absent-mindedly as they walked down the hall, scanning the doors for their room numbers.

"Your summer vacation ended nearly a month ago, Dame-Tsuna. We've called in the unexpected extension, but don't expect to get a free pass out of all the work you're missing."

"…W-what?!" It took him a moment to roll the words around in his head, but an appropriate level of panic gripped Tsuna as they sank in.

"Did you think I had stopped being your tutor? I'm still responsible for your grades, you know."

"B-but…there'll be _so much_…"

"You'd better really enjoy your vacation, then," With an unapologetic smirk, Reborn hopped from the shocked boy's shoulder onto Yuri's as they finally found their rooms. "It looks like we'll be staying across the hall from you."

"And we'll be your neighbors!" Yamamoto added brightly.

"Just knock if you need anything," Yuri said as she unlocked the door, holding it open to allow Reborn and Leon inside first. "I think I might lay down for a bit."

"Ah, okay," Tsuna let his lips curl into a relieved smile. She really wasn't looking very well. He had noticed before that the dark circles under her eyes never seemed to go away, but they stood out much more prominently against the pallid color that her skin had taken on since their arrival – she probably needed the rest. "Take it easy, okay?"

"Yeah," She nodded with a small, strained smile of her own before stepping in behind the tutor. Yamamoto waited to speak up until the door had clicked shut behind her.

"May as well see what they look like!" He was holding open the door to his own room, where Ryohei had already entered and was now yelling his catchphrase over and over. Judging by the way his voice was moving, the boxer was probably running in circles. "See you guys later?"

"Yeah, feel free to knock whenever you want," Tsuna replied. "Have fun!"

"Ah, I'll be sure to!"

"_Tch!_ Excitable morons…" Gokudera muttered in annoyance as the Swordsman disappeared into the room, leaving just the two of them in the hall.

"It is kind of exciting, though," Tsuna replied with a broad smile, moving to unlock their own door. "Why don't we get settled in?"

"Of course, Tenth! I'll get your things!"

* * *

><p>Opening his mouth, Tsuna let out a long groan. The blood rushing to his head made it feel like his skull was about to explode from the pressure, but he remained unmoving. Instead, he just turned another page sluggishly, emitting another bored sound.<p>

"Tsuna, you look like a tomato!" Yamamoto laughed, twisting around in his seat to mimic Tsuna's upside down position, letting his head dangle over the edge. "Wow, you're able to read like this?"

"T-tenth, shouldn't you…get back up?" Gokudera asked in worry as his boss's face began to take on a shade closer to purple than red.

"It's more comfortable this way." Tsuna lied. He honestly just felt too lazy to move. The bomber looked doubtful, but he wasn't one to question Tsuna's actions.

"T-then, I'll join in too!"

"Uh…" If he had been right side up, Tsuna's mouth would have fallen open as Gokudera flipped over onto his own bed and allowed his head to hang off the side as well. "Well, if you really want to, I guess-"

They were interrupted by a knock on the door, prompting another groan from him as he reluctantly rolled over onto his stomach and clambered off of the bed with all the grace of a walrus.

"Hey, Gokudera, let's see who can last longer in this position!" Yamamoto laughed as Tsuna made his way towards the door.

"Is that a challenge, baseball freak?"

"I guess so!" The swordsman laughed, making his face redden more quickly, but Gokudera had already achieved an even brighter shade. "You look like you're already getting a bit light headed!"

"As if I'd ever lose to you!"

Doing his best to ignore the competitive noises coming from behind him, Tsuna went ahead and opened the door.

"Oh, Yuri," The tone of his voice betrayed his surprise; he had been expecting Ryohei to be on the other side of the door. "You're up?"

He wasn't the only one who looked surprised. She had clearly been preparing to greet him, but her eyes drifted over his shoulder to the strange scene behind him, returned to his own flushed face, and her jaw closed with a small click, cutting off whatever she had been about to say. Instead, she just opted for a simple, "…What." It wasn't even a question, so much as a general statement of confusion.

Behind them, Yamamoto was craning his neck to see who was at the door. The action made him lose his grip, and he ended up sliding down onto the floor with a small yelp. Seeing this, Gokudera let out a victorious laugh, which only served to land him in a similar position.

Watching the scene unfold, Yuri just shook her head slowly and gave Tsuna another confused look.

"We're bored," He explained with an embarrassed laugh as he invited her in. "Did you have a nice nap?"

"Nice enough," She murmured with a passive shrug as she offered a hand to Yamamoto, helping him get to his feet while Tsuna did the same with Gokudera. "I didn't really sleep, but the rest was sufficient."

"What about Reborn?"

"Out like a light as soon as he set up his little hammock. I think. He sleeps with his eyes open, it's…strange." Tsuna chuckled at her disturbed expression, knowing all too well how she felt. "He was still asleep last I checked, but I thought I'd come see what you guys were up to."

"Ah, we just thought we may as well take a look at the primers since there's not much else to do."

"Primers?"

"The Ninth gave us several, each on a different subject. There's one on the American Mafia, something called The Commission, New York, as well as one on America in general, and several others that we haven't even glanced at yet. I thought we'd just try to get a better idea of what our assignment is, but it's a lot of material to work through, and it's…not very exciting."

"Any way I can help?"

"Pick a primer," Tsuna sighed, gesturing at the large pile of packets on their desk. "There's more than enough to go around."

"Where's Sasagawa?" Picking up a packet, she flipped through its contents briefly before tossing it back onto the desk and moving onto the next one.

"He found out about the fourth floor."

"What's special about it?"

"It's the recreational area. I think he said there's a full gym and an indoor pool among other things. He may have already moved on by now, though, I think there are even more activities out back."

"How luxurious…" Yuri muttered, skimming over another primer with a frown before throwing it back down and turning to them. "You'd be better off trying to organize these into relevant and irrelevant piles, rather than trying to read through everything at once. How long have you been at this?"

"A couple hours, maybe?"

"Why don't you guys take a break as well, then? I can head down to the lobby and see if I can get some snacks or something."

"Oh, good idea, I'll go with you!" Yamamoto offered. Nodding, Yuri turned to lead the way out.

"We'll be back in a few minutes, then."

"Ah, thank you!" Tsuna called out as the door shut behind them, before turning back to the pile of primers. "She may have a point, I think only a handful of these have anything to do with the assignment itself."

"That's a given," Gokudera grumbled. "Yamamoto managed to get his hands on a baseball primer, after all."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Tsuna asked with a small snort of laughter.

"It's just a summary of the local teams, I think. In any case, you're exactly right; most of this is useless information. Unless we're supposed to be taking a test on New York's history and culture at the end of this trip, I don't understand why the Ninth would even give you half of this. It's like he's trying to test your information gathering skills more than-" The bomber cut himself off as the realization seemed to hit them both.

Tsuna slapped a hand to his forehead.

"I'm an idiot."

"T-that's not true, Tenth! None of us put it together either…I'm sorry, I should have realized it sooner!"

"No, that's alright," Tsuna replied with a small sigh. "I mean, better late than never, right? Why don't we just start organizing them like Yuri suggested while we wait for them to get back?"

"Of course, Tenth! I'll take care of this half."

For the next twenty minutes, they worked quickly and quietly, flipping through the first several pages of a primer before throwing it into one pile or the other. It wasn't long until they had worked their way through all of them, having trimmed the relevant pile down into a neat and manageable number.

"That went a lot more quickly than I thought it would," Tsuna said with a satisfied grin, lifting his arms above his head to stretch. "And I think we have a general idea of what we're doing here, now."

"Even the baseball freak and Turf-Top should be able to understand it," Gokudera agreed, piling the rest of the primers back onto the desk. "It shouldn't take too-"

For the second time that afternoon, they were cut off by a knock at the door. This time, though, it was a loud and heavy enough to startle them both, as though someone was trying to kick the door in.

"What the hell is their problem?" The bomber growled, bending down to pick up the papers that had scattered around him.

"I'm not sure," Tsuna muttered with a confused expression as he went to open the door. "What's-?"

Turning the handle, his question was cut off by a strangled scream as he came face-to-foot with the bottom of a shoe.

"Tenth?!" Gokudera immediately leapt to his feet, bombs in hand, but stopped himself from lighting them as he took in the scene.

Yuri and Yamamoto were standing in the doorway, each holding an armful of snacks. Having been unable to free up a hand to knock, Yuri had apparently opted to balance on one leg and simply start stomping at the door.

"Food!" She exclaimed simply after a moment of confused silence, holding out the pile of snacks for Tsuna to examine.

"And drinks!" Yamamoto added, struggling to do the same with several cans of soda and bottles of water and juice.

It was Tsuna's turn to declare his confusion, "…What."

"We just asked for some snacks, I swear," She explained quickly, shuffling in as the small packages began to fall out of her arms. "But they just kept coming and coming after that, and I really don't know how this happened."

"We're apparently getting room service for dinner, too," Yamamoto added, laughing as Yuri gave up and simply dropped everything on the floor with a frustrated sigh.

"I…I see…" Tsuna was still staring at the pile of food with wide eyes. "Do…do we pay for all of that?"

"Apparently not," Yuri shook her head, pulling something out of her back pocket and displaying it between her index and middle fingers. It looked like a credit card, but it was black with an intricate gold design on it – Tsuna's eyes widened even further as he recognized it to be the Vongola crest. "We're supposed to use this for any transactions we make while we're in the city, I guess."

"W-wow…"

"The driver said this was just a high class international hotel, but I think it's affiliated with Vongola, possibly even owned by them. We were definitely getting some sort of special treatment as soon as the manager gave us this card…not to mention the fact that we're living in luxury suites on the top floor of the building."

"Is that possible?" Tsuna wondered as he helped pick up the food. It wasn't difficult to believe that they had the best rooms the hotel had to offer. Each one had a massive bedroom with two king sized beds, a large living room with several couches and a flat screen television, as well as a kitchen, two bathrooms, and a wide outdoor deck. It would be more suitable to call them small houses rather than rooms.

"I didn't think the Vongola had this much pull this far West. I'm impressed," Yuri mused, hopping onto one of the couches and tucking her legs underneath her. "In any case, it looks like you've made some progress on those primers."

"Ah, yeah!" Tsuna grinned, picking up the packets. "We managed to narrow it down to just five or six."

"So, you know what we're doing here?"

"More or less," The grin refused to leave Tsuna's face as he started flipping through the pages, still feeling giddy over the small victory. "I mentioned The Commission earlier, right?"

"Briefly."

"Well, it's apparently the governing body of the American Mafia. It's made up of six family bosses, and basically any major actions involving families that fall under their jurisdiction have to be approved by them."

"Okay," Yuri nodded, smiling slightly in thanks as Yamamoto offered her a bottle of water.

"One of those families is called the Trovare. I guess they used to be in Italy, but relocated to New York for some reason. Actually, probably because of this – they've been allied with the Vongola for years, but there's a lot of evidence that suggests they've been selling information on the Vongola to other families."

The news was apparently surprising enough to make Yuri choke on her water, sending her into a small coughing fit.

Beside her, Gokudera wore an expression of confusion and mild alarm as he simply stared at her doubled over form. It wasn't until Tsuna gave him a pointed look that he hesitantly raised a hand to pound her firmly on the back, as though punching her spine would dislodge the water from her lungs. She put an end to that quickly, turning to smack him angrily several times as the fit died down on its own.

"That's…" She coughed a couple more times before finally being able to speak, her voice hoarse. "Amazingly stupid. They're practically digging their own graves."

"They must have a moron as their boss, having the nerve to betray our family like that…" Gokudera growled. The words came out muffled and slightly butchered as he tried to open up a bag of potato chips with his teeth; his other hand was occupied, holding Yuri's wrists hostage until he could be sure her little attack was over. "When do we take them out?"

"W-we won't be!" Tsuna replied frantically, trying to get the idea out of the bomber's head as quickly as he could. "Like I said, everything has to go through The Commission; but the bosses don't meet each other – or anyone else, for that matter – in person anymore, so we'll be interacting with them through a…a Con…"

"_Consigliere_?" Yuri supplied, wrenching her wrists free with a quick kick to the bomber's shin, which gained her a hissed curse and an elbow to the ribs.

"Ah, yes! They'll be relaying messages back and forth, so we'll probably have to do it several times."

"Well, that doesn't sound too hard or dangerous. I guess this really is a vacation," Smirking at the thought, Yuri reached over to steal a chip out of Gokudera's bag, drawing a grumpy protest out of him. Ignoring him, she snatched the entire bag and held it out to Tsuna. "Do you want any, Boss?"

"That's fine, I can get my own," He laughed as Gokudera swiped it back with a scowl, making her frown and cross her arms with an annoyed sigh. They really acted like a pair of siblings whenever they were together. It was a nice sight compared to just less than a week ago, when she had been a crumpled mess in the corner of a dark cell.

"Eh? What's that, Yamamoto?"

"Hm?" The swordsman glanced up in surprise as Tsuna passed him to get to the snacks, before looking back down at the thick book in his lap. "Oh, this? It's just a phonebook."

"Was that already in the room?"

"Nah, I asked for it when we were down in the lobby," He laughed as Tsuna tilted his head in a way that reminded him of a confused puppy. "I just thought I'd try looking for the number of an old friend. He was one of my seniors that played on the same Little League team as me when I was in grade school. We were planning to join the same baseball team together once I graduated, but he had to move with his dad right before I entered middle school – I just remembered on the way here that they had moved to New York."

"Wow," Tsuna murmured as he popped open his own bag of chips. "That's quite a coincidence."

"What are the chances, right?" Yamamoto laughed brightly, and Tsuna could tell the boy was excited. "I wasn't sure I'd find them in here, either, but here they are!"

"Really?" Peeking over the swordsman's shoulder, Tsuna blinked blankly at where he was pointing. He had never been very good at English, and the page just looked like a mess of symbols to him. "Are you able to read these?"

"Nope! I asked someone to write it out for me so I could look for a match."

"Y-you've been going through that letter by letter?"

"It took longer than I thought it would!" Tsuna grimaced as Yamamoto simply laughed the task off, unable to imagine doing something so arduous. "Anyways, I figure it's worth trying to give him a call before it gets too late – do you mind if I use the phone in here?"

"No, go ahead."

"Thank you!" Having already copied the number onto his palm, the swordsman closed the phonebook and hopped onto one of the beds, reaching over a pile of pillows to get to the phone. "Let's see…I wonder if he'll remember me…" He mused, punching in the numbers and lifting the phone to his ear. He was smiling, but Tsuna could see that his knee was bouncing nervously as it began to ring. "It's been three years now, he might not even-"

With a small choking sound, he suddenly slammed the receiver back down.

"W-what's wrong?" Tsuna asked with wide eyes, startled by the sudden change in attitude.

"Haa," Yamamoto let out a small sigh of relief. "That was close…"

"Did something happen?"

"No, I just thought of something – what if someone else picks up? I don't speak English, they might think I'm some sort of…I don't even know what someone would think in that situation!" He laughed, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment, though his eyes snapped back open in horror as another thought struck him: "What if he's married?!"

"Is he that old?" Tsuna spluttered, choking as he tried to take a drink of water, though he managed to avoid a repeat of Yuri's recent experience.

"Ah, well…I guess he would be eighteen or nineteen now. Hm, that does seem a little bit farfetched, doesn't it?" Yamamoto chuckled. "Still, maybe it's better if I don't call."

"Well…it's up to you, but I don't think you should let that stop you."

"But if someone else answers, they won't be able to understand me."

"Just try saying his name over and over? I imagine that should get the point across."

"What if he forgot how to speak Japanese?"

"I don't think he'll…" Tsuna couldn't help chuckling – it was kind of funny to see the swordsman acting so uncharacteristically flustered. "If that happens, we have a translator. It's a chance to see an old friend, right? I think that's something worth taking a risk for."

"But…" Biting his lip, Yamamoto glanced down in thought. After a moment, his face lifted back up, his grin back in its usual spot as he turned to pick the phone back up. "I guess you're right – I'm being pretty silly right now, aren't I? Thanks, Tsuna!"

"Fight!" Tsuna cheered supportively, lifting a clenched fist as his friend dialed the number again.

"_FIGHT!_"

Nearly everyone dropped what they were holding as Ryohei barged into the room, yelling at the top of his lungs.

"F-fight!" Gokudera stammered, determined not to be left out of whatever his boss had just initiated.

"…fight?" Yuri repeated meekly, not sure how she was supposed to respond to that.

"Ah…" Tsuna sighed with a weak smile. It was almost sad how this wasn't even an unusual occurrence for him anymore. Almost. "Wait, Onii-san, how did you get in here? You don't have a key."

"I have one right here!" The boxer replied, holding up a slightly bent strip of plastic. "Your door's broken, though – I had to push _extremely_ hard to open it!"

"_What?_" Tsuna squeaked.

"Oi, Turf-Top, that's _your_ room's key, you idiot! You just broke the door!"

"Are we just going to ignore the fact that he literally bypassed high class security through sheer force of will?" Yuri murmured, curling up with another bag of chips, as though she were settling down to watch a show with a bag of popcorn. "That's actually kind of impressive."

"I extremely don't understand…but that's not important!" Ryohei interrupted. "Who's fighting?"

"Ah," Sighing heavily, Tsuna sat down and pointed at the bed. "Yamamoto's calling an old friend."

Suddenly remembering what he had been doing, Yamamoto dove for the phone on the ground where it had been dropped.

"Ah, h-hello?!" He yelled frantically, hoping they hadn't hung up already. As he lifted it to his ear, he could hear the person on the other end jerking away from the sudden noise. "Sorry," He apologized quickly, adjusting his volume quickly before continuing. "Is…is Nomiya Kazuo there?"

"…You speak…who is this?" Yamamoto sighed in relief as the other person replied in his native tongue.

"This is Yamamoto Takeshi, I'm a-"

"Oh!" It was Yamamoto's turn to jerk away from the phone as the loud exclamation threatened to shatter his eardrums. "No way! Takeshi?!"

"…Sempai?"

"Whoa!" Yamamoto couldn't help grinning widely as laughter filtered through the receiver, loud enough for everyone in the room to hear it. "It's been way too long! What have you been up to? How have you been? I haven't heard from you in years, what's the occasion?"

"Ah, well, I'm in New York with a few friends, and I thought-"

"You're in New York? That's incredible! I have to see you in person, how long are you here for? Are you free any time soon?"

"I don't think we'll be doing anything until the end of the weekend, so I should be!"

"Fantastic! How's tomorrow sound?"

"That soon?"

"Why not? The sooner the better, right?"

"I can't argue against that!" He could hear a small chuckle from the other end of the line.

"You haven't changed at all, have you?"

"That's not true – I got taller!"

"_What?_" Yamamoto laughed at Kazuo's shocked tone. "No way!"

"Yep! You missed my growth spurt!"

"Oh, now I've definitely got to see you for myself. Ten O' clock tomorrow morning, Central Park, at the carousel – can you get a map?"

"Probably!"

"It's a plan, then! Oh, and feel free to invite your friends, too!"

"Ah, I'll be sure to! We'll see you tomorrow, then?"

"Yep! Don't be late, kiddo!" There was a small click, and the line went dead before Yamamoto could even protest at the nickname, but his grin only grew wider as he put the phone back. It had been three years, but it felt like neither of them had changed. Lacing his fingers behind his head, the swordsman turned to face his friends with a small laugh.

"I guess I'll be going out to meet him tomorrow! He said you guys were invited, do you want to come along? I think you'll really like him!"

"Sure," Tsuna replied with a smile, glad to see his friend acting so happy. "It sounds like fun!"

"Exploring America to the extreme!" Ryohei added, and Tsuna couldn't tell if he thought America was confined to New York, or if he actually planned to explore the entire country.

"I go wherever the Tenth goes," Gokudera responded predictably, while Yuri just nodded.

"The hotel's nice, but I wouldn't really want to stay cooped up here," She murmured, twisting the ring on her finger idly.

"Ah, this is exciting, I can't wait to introduce all of you!" Yamamoto grinned as he slid off of the bed. "I'm going to head back over to our room to grab a few things. Let me know if dinner comes so I can join you!"

"Wait up!" Ryohei leapt to his feet, jogging after him. "I'm in extreme need of a new change of clothes!"

"I'll come knock on the door if the food gets here first, then," Tsuna spoke up as they stepped out into the hall. "We won't start without you."

"Ah, thank you!" As the door slowly eased itself shut, they could see Yamamoto turning his attention to Ryohei as the boxer attempted to unlock their own door.

"Why won't it open?!"

"I'm pretty sure you broke the card too…"

"_WHA-?!_" The door clicked shut just in time to reduce Ryohei's exclamation into an indiscernible mumble.

"These rooms must have incredible soundproofing if they're able to muffle his obnoxious voice," Gokudera muttered with an air of surprise as Tsuna laughed nervously.

"This is going to be…" Yuri muttered, trailing off as she searched for an appropriate word, "…interesting." She finally decided, and Tsuna doubted he could have phrased it any better. With this group, the trip was bound to be stressful and nerve-wracking to say the very least…but then again, when weren't they?

Tsuna had come to accept the fact that they were more lively and adventurous than your average teenagers – they wouldn't be suited for the mafia otherwise – but without those traits, they wouldn't be the family that he had come to know and love. They were in a place that he had never imagined he might be able to visit, doing things he never imagined he might be able to do…and it was all thanks to them. True, it was more likely than not that they would wreak havoc in the city and probably break a few dozen things, but Tsuna couldn't possibly force himself to resent the fact. It was just who they were, and he couldn't imagine being able to live without them.

Tipping his head back, he let out a small, resigned sigh and let the corners of his mouth stretch out into a wide grin.

"Well…at least we won't be bored."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Okay, mission Edit The Hell Out of This Chapter: somewhat successful. I'm still not entirely happy with it, but it no longer leaves me wanting to bash my head repeatedly against a wall every time I read it, so I'm labeling it as an overall success. With any luck, most of you didn't get the chance to see the sorry state it had been in before I took it back down, and I just have no idea what I'm talking about right now. (Long story short: I commit grievous literary crimes when I try too hard to force my way through writer's block very very late at night.) Either way, I hope you enjoy it, and I promise to reincorporate that strange concept we call a 'plot' back into this story soon enough! Until then, stay well! If you celebrate it, happy Fourth of July (belatedly)! And if you don't, I hope you had a lovely weekend all the same! As always, thank you for all of the feedback and support!


	12. Old Friends, New Friends

Hi, everyone! I am so _so_ sorry to have kept you guys waiting so long on this update. It's been a pretty hectic mess of things, from summer camps to illnesses to holidays and vacations and finals. Due to various reasons (not all of which I completely understand), I had a pretty rough bout of acute depression, which made it rather difficult to find the energy and motivation to continue this story, despite how much I wanted to.

After experiencing that, I just wanted to pass this message along to all of my readers: If you ever feel like you're suffering from depression, even if it hasn't been officially diagnosed or you don't feel like you have any "legitimate" reasons to feel that way, my inbox is always, always open. No matter who you are or what your situation is, I'm more than happy to talk it out with you. I'm far from having figured it all out myself, but talking and discussing it openly is definitely one of the things that I've found the most helpful, so I'd like to make myself available as such a resource. Please don't be afraid to reach out!

Alright, now that I've gotten that out there, I won't put this off any longer! Here's Chapter 12! Hope you enjoy it!

* * *

><p>"It should be just up ahead," Yamamoto announced with grin, folding up the map as he fell into a light jog, the rest of them following along behind him.<p>

"Oh. It's…bigger than I expected it to be," Tsuna murmured as the edge of the park finally came into view.

What a massive understatement.

He thought it would be a simple matter of just walking across the street to reach the large expanse of grass and trees – but once they got there, Yamamoto lifted the map back up, had them turn right, and continued walking.

And walking.

And walking.

Tsuna was admittedly not very good at English, but numbers were a sort of universal constant between languages, so he was at least able to read the street signs as they passed by:

70th St…69th St…68th St…67th St…66th St…

He had never heard of a park being larger than a block or two, yet they had already walked through five, and the greenery still showed no signs of ending anytime soon.

"Oi, Baseball Freak, where are you taking us?" Gokudera finally growled as they turned _left_, leaving behind the streets and their signs, along with any recognizable landmarks. They were headed into the "park", which was beginning to look more like a forest. As much as he hated doubting his friend, Tsuna had to breathe out a small sigh of relief as the bomber said exactly what had been on his own mind.

"Hm?" Yamamoto glanced over the top of the map to look at them. "The meeting place. Did you already forget?"

"Don't give me that crap, we've been walking for at least twenty minutes now! You're the one with the map, so where the hell are we?"

"The park."

"You said the park was back there!"

"It was!" The affirmation was said with such a confident grin that even Gokudera had a hard time disbelieving it. But that didn't mean he _did_ believe it. "Ah, well, I mean…it is!"

"Tch! If you're lost, just say you're lost already!"

"Mm, but I don't think we are! These directions are actually pretty straightforward – we turned on 65th back there, right? Here, look," Turning around, Yamamoto held the map out so the other two could look over his shoulders as he pointed to their destination. "This is where we're headed. We turned back there, and we crossed the street back here…"

"Wait," Tsuna interrupted, reaching across to trace something with his fingertip. "Is that the park?"

"I think so."

"The green? That _whole_ thing is a park?" Tsuna could hardly believe his eyes – it had to stretch across nearly fifty blocks. "Is…is it an amusement park, or something?"

"Maybe?" Yamamoto looked equally confused as he scratched the back of his head. "I don't see any rides, though. I think it might just be a normal park."

"Are they normally this big?" He looked up to stare at his friends with wide eyes, like an infant that had just discovered something for the first time.

"I've never seen one like it," Gokudera replied with an expression of befuddlement, Yamamoto nodding in agreement beside him.

"What about you, Yuri? Have you seen a park like this before in Italy?" Tsuna turned to ask the girl, who had been trailing several feet behind them; her fingers were wrapped tightly around the hood of Ryohei's coat, dragging him along slowly as he stubbornly tried to run in every other possible direction. Glancing up briefly, she just shrugged and gave a vague grunt before turning her attention back to the boxer.

"Oi, answer the Tenth properly when he asks you a question, woman!" Gokudera berated, making Tsuna flinch.

"Oh, I'm sorry, would you like to take over babysitting duty?" She snapped back. "I will gladly give the boss my undivided attention if you'd like to come grab this _child_. That is, if you can hold onto him for five minutes without bashing his skull in, Mr. Short Fuse."

From the moment he had set eyes on the edge of the park, Ryohei had begun desperately trying to take off on one of his runs while yelling something about "extreme training grounds". They quickly discovered only Yuri and Yamamoto had both the endurance and patience required to keep him on a tight rein when he refused to back down. Since Yamamoto had been in charge of the map, the job had fallen into her hands by default.

"Oi…" Gokudera growled threateningly, the muscles around his eyes twitching in anger, but she was unimpressed.

"What? You wanna fight?" Lifting her arms defiantly, she beckoned at him, daring him to make a move. "I can do this with one hand, let's go." This seemed to catch the boxer's attention, as he stopped struggling and turned to stare at them eagerly over his shoulder.

"Extremely well said, Yuri! Spoken like a true boxer!"

"Settle down, settle, settle," Yamamoto broke into the commotion, holding Gokudera back as the bomber took a step towards the pair with an angry curse on his lips. "We're not lost, and we're almost there, that's all that matters! We'll be late if we don't keep moving, though!"

"Ah, that's right," Tsuna agreed, sagging with relief as the tension slowly dissipated. He never knew when they were going to cause a ruckus, and he really didn't want to get arrested for being a public nuisance. Something told him Reborn wouldn't exactly be willing to help them out of that situation; the hitman hadn't even been willing to tag along on this particular trip. Tsuna couldn't help wondering if the he might actually be getting tired of them.

"Ah, see? There it is!" Tsuna glanced up as Yamamoto broke into a run, pointing at a red brick fixture up ahead.

"That's a carousel?" His confusion dissipated as they drew closer, a distinct entrance and exit coming into view. "Oh, wow," He breathed as they all came to a stop and gathered in front of the entrance. Judging by the locked gate and the empty ticket booth, it wasn't quite open for business yet. "That's a big carousel."

"…Is that all it does?" Yuri asked, her face donning a confused frown as she peeked past the gate, eyeing the stationary horses within.

"Huh? You don't-?" Tsuna cut himself short as he watched her. Of course, with her personality, she looked more skeptical than anything; but there was a certain wide-eyed curiosity to her that reminded him of a toddler at its first festival.

_She's never seen one before_, He realized.

"Well, it's off right now," Yamamoto took over. "Usually it's all lit up, and there's circus music playing on a loop, and it spins around and around and around while the horses go up and down."

"That…sounds awful."

"It's really not!" Yamamoto laughed. "If it opens up, why don't we ask Kazuo-sempai if we can all take a ride?"

"Pass," Yuri immediately declined, jutting her palm towards him. "Speaking of, where _is_ your friend?"

"He did say to meet at ten. It looks like we're right on time," Yamamoto replied, glancing down at his watch. "Well, don't worry, I'm sure he'll show up-"

His words stuttered to a startled stop as a pair of hands suddenly appeared from behind him, covering up his eyes.

While everyone else let out vague sounds of surprise and instinctively dropped into defensive positions, a pair of bright blue eyes peeked over his shoulder, shining with a playful sort of mischief.

"Peek-a-boo!" A bright, peppy voice sang out. It was unmistakably female. "Guess who?"

Yamamoto's mouth hung open in confusion as he tried to see what was going on around him. After a moment, he turned his head towards whoever was behind him, despite his eyes still being covered.

"…M…Miyuki?"

"_Pin pon!_" His mouth stretched into a wide grin as the hands fell away from his face, and a petite girl bounced out from behind him. "Exactly right, and on the first try too! Takeppi continues to impress, even after four years!"

"And you're still using those embarrassing nicknames, even after four years?"

"They are not embarrassing! No one ever calls me Miyucchi since we moved to the states."

"Because it's embarrassing!"

"So you won't say it, then? Ah, now I'm getting all nostalgic – you've grown crueler over the years."

Yamamoto laughed as she pouted, pulling her into a one arm hug that resembled a headlock and grinding the knuckles of his free hand into her scalp, ignoring her shrieking protests.

"Ah, stop, stop!" She was laughing as well, despite the minor bullying she was being subjected to. "Give, I give!"

"It's good to see you again, Miyucchi." Yamamoto said as he finally released her.

"That's more like it," She looked impressively absorbed in the task of fixing her hair, meticulously placing every stray black strand back into the neat bob she had originally arrived with, pushing it all back in place with a thick headband.

"So," Once satisfied with her work, she turned and eyed the rest of the group curiously, who had been standing aside quietly and trying to keep their confused mutterings to a minimum. "Who all do we have here?"

"Ah, sorry," Yamamoto exclaimed, suddenly remembering everyone that had accompanied him there. "I'm being rude – everyone, this is Kazuo-sempai's younger sister, Miyuki."

"Hello!" Stepping forward with a bright smile, she gave them a polite little nod.

"And Miyu, these are my close friends from middle school. This is Tsuna – he's really amazing, and he's done a lot for me over the years, so treat him well!"

"Ah, eh, no, I-I'm not-! Th-that is, uh," Tsuna's face grew a bright shade of red at Yamamoto's praise, dipping into a low bow to hide his embarrassment. "I'm Sawada Tsunayoshi; I-it's nice to meet you!"

"My goodness, he's adorable…" He could hear her murmuring under her breath, which only made his face redden further.

"And this is Gokudera," Yamamoto continued, oblivious to Tsuna's plight. "He's originally from Italy, you know!"

"Really? You must be well traveled!" Miyu stared at him with wide-eyed admiration, though her expression morphed into one of amusement when he replied with little more than a noncommittal grunt. "Quite the tough guy you've got there, Yamamoto."

"Right?" The swordsman laughed, drawing an indignant 'Oi!' from the bomber. "That's Sasagawa Ryohei back there – he's our upperclassman. Oh, and also a boxer!"

"IT'S EXTREMELY NICE TO MEET YOU," Was his enthusiastic reply, making her take a startled step back.

"He can…take a bit of getting used to," Tsuna added, but she just laughed and replied, "I like the energy!"

"And finally," Yamamoto smoothly steered the conversation towards their final introduction. "This is Yuriko. We only just met her more recently, but she's already a good friend."

"It's a pleasure," She greeted softly, dipping her head respectfully.

"Oh gosh," Miyu murmured in response. "You're beautiful."

"…" The liberated assassin could only blink in response to that. "I…what?"

"Ah, sorry," Miyu let out a nervous giggle. "I can get a little ahead of myself sometimes. Ooh, I'm just so excited to meet you all! I hope we can all be friends!" She gave an excited little wiggle at that. "I can tell this big ol' baseball nut holds you all in really high esteem."

Glancing over at Yamamoto, her grin was suddenly replaced with a quizzical little frown. Taking a step back, she leaned in to examine the Shigure Kintoki strapped to his back, poking and prodding at the bamboo slats.

"Is that a shinai? You've taken up kendo, then? Really? You must be pretty serious too, if you're even carrying this around with you…" She gave him a fierce scowl. "Don't tell me I need to start calling you an ex-baseball nut. You haven't dropped baseball, have you?"

"What are you talking about?" Yamamoto laughed as though she had just told a hilarious joke. "Of course not!"

"Oh, good," She breathed out a genuine sigh of relief, backing away once he had given her that reassurance. "You would have broken Kazu-nii's heart if you told him that."

"Ah, right!" Yamamoto suddenly exclaimed, remembering their original intent. "Where is he, anyways? He said to meet here – I didn't even realize you'd be coming along too!"

She blinked twice, giving him a blank look of confusion.

"…He didn't tell you?"

"Huh? Tell me what?"

"…Oh. Right. I probably should have expected that." She shook her head, looking mildly annoyed. "Something came up at the last minute, so he asked me to come meet you guys in his place. We'll be able to meet up with him in a few hours. In the meantime, though, are you guys hungry?"

"W-well," Yamamoto gave a sheepish smile as his stomach rumbled quietly at the mention of food. "We had a little bit to eat for breakfast, but I was so excited I kind of skipped out."

"You also forced us all to leave part way through the meal since you were so worried about being late!" Gokudera scolded.

"Well that's perfect, then!" Miyu interrupted, happily clapping her hands together. "I know a great little restaurant just a few blocks from here, it should be less than a ten minute walk. Let me treat you all to an early lunch!"

"Come on, you don't have to do that," Yamamoto immediately began trying to protest, but she cut him off with a wave of her hand.

"Nonsense! I'm more than happy to, and you know I'll only get angry if you don't let me. Just consider it a little 'Welcome to New York' gift! Now let's get all those feet in gear, before I have to start listening to any more protests."

Pivoting lightly on her heel, the pixyish girl took off towards the nearest street with a literal bounce in her step. She was practically skipping along, though she was surprisingly quick, and the others found themselves struggling to keep up with her pace.

"Has she…always been like that?" Tsuna asked, falling into step beside Yamamoto.

"Mm…pretty much. She hasn't gotten any less eccentric, either," The swordsman chuckled, pointing out Miyu's brightly patterned outfit. "I remember she used to wear these tutus to class that were covered in glitter. Eventually the teachers had to make her stop, because she was leaving behind a trail of glitter _everywhere_ she went. The school was starting to look like a snow globe."

"You were in the same class?"

"For one year. We're in the same grade, but it was a small elementary school, so it didn't really matter – everyone knew each other. I only got to know her so well because of Kazuo-sempai, though. People tended to keep their distance from her back then."

"Eh? Why?" She had come across a little strongly, but she was so friendly that Tsuna couldn't imagine anyone disliking her.

"I don't really know, actually," Yamamoto seemed legitimately confused by the memory. "I guess they all just thought she was kind of strange?"

"Or annoying," Gokudera grumbled under his breath, earning a light smack to the back of his head.

"Play nice," Yuri hissed behind him.

"So how did you end up-?" Tsuna cut himself off abruptly as Miyu glanced at them over her shoulder, turning around to approach them again.

"Sorry, am I walking too quickly?" She apologized. "You tend to set the pace a bit fast when you live in a city like this."

"Hey, don't underestimate us," Yamamoto's response was instantaneous, a competitive glint in his eyes. "We can keep up with any pace you set."

"Oh? I know that look. That's a challenge, isn't it? We haven't even spent an hour together and you're already challenging me to a race. Unbelievable," She scoffed, shaking her head. "Save it for my brother, please. The restaurant's just across the street over there, and I'm not wearing the right shoes for running right now."

"Are you wearing heels?" Yamamoto leaned over to get a closer look at her feet. "Oh! You are! I just thought you had grown since I last saw you."

"Hey!" She protested. "I have! Geez, I try to look nice and this is what I get…" She grumbled, but almost immediately got over it. "Okay, okay, enough talk! Let's get some food into you all!"

Leading them across the street, she took them past several small shops and boutiques before turning towards one of the entrances covered by a red awning and pulling the door open for them.

"I hope you all like Italian," She said as they filed in, holding up six fingers to indicate their party size as a waiter approached. He guided them to the back of the room deftly, weaving between rows of closely packed tables and chairs, before getting them seated and passing out several menus.

"It's pretty fancy for a place that's so…small," Tsuna remarked, taking his spot between Gokudera and Yuri. The establishment was lit by what looked like candles suspended from the ceiling, while each table was adorned with live roses, gleaming silverware, and large wine glasses.

"Manhattan isn't exactly known for its spaciousness," Miyu replied, lifting a cold glass of water to her lips. "You're not going to find many spots around here that offer a lot of leg room. That's no reflection on their quality though, the food here is phenomenal. Go ahead and order whatever you guys want; like I said, it's on me!"

Despite their attempts to shrug off the offer, she continued to insist with an impressively stubborn attitude, and they eventually gave in, turning their attention to the menus in front of them. They must have looked like a band of conspirators, all leaning in towards the center of the table to compare dishes and prices as Miyu worked to translate everything for them to the best of her ability.

When the waiter returned to take their order, she rattled off the long list of dishes and beverages as quickly as she could, finishing up with a sheepish smile as he struggled to get everything down. The two of them repeated the order back to each other a few times, making sure nothing was missed, forgotten, or left out.

"Thank you again, Nomiya-san," Tsuna repeated once the waiter had distributed their drinks and left. "This is too generous."

"It's nothing," She waved him off quickly. "The prices here are really manageable, don't worry about it. And don't be so formal, it feels strange to be called by my surname. Just call me Miyu."

"Th-then…thank you, Miyu," Tsuna corrected himself hesitantly, not used to addressing others on such familiar terms quite so quickly.

Pushing the vase of flowers aside from the center of the table, she lifted her glass with a bright grin and said, "I'm really happy to be able to do this, so just relax and enjoy it! Cheers!"

"Cheers," The others echoed, lifting their own glasses and clinking the rims against each other.

"So!" She clapped her hands together as they set their glasses down, leaning forward eagerly. "You haven't told me yet – what's bringing all of you to the states in the first place?"

"Ah, that's…" Yamamoto trailed off as he remembered their original purpose, as well as the fact that they hadn't yet devised a cover story. He gave Tsuna and Gokudera a nervous glance, neither of whom were any more prepared for the sudden question.

"Hm?" Miyu continued to stare expectantly as a heavy silence began to stretch out between them.

"Business internship," Yuri finally cut in, looking down as she unfolded her napkin and spread it out on her lap.

"Ooh. What does that involve?"

"We're just learning the trade, for now. The company has several branches around the world that offer…economic consultation and small private protection firms."

"Wow…that's impressive! I barely understand what that even means, but it sure sounds professional! How did you all end up getting gigs like that? I can barely hold down a part time job over here."

"Oh, um…I just got lucky, I guess – circumstances. I was working a low level job at one of the smaller branches, which is how I met these guys. I was…fortunate enough to be recruited into a better position once Boss ca-" She faltered as she caught her own mistake a second too late.

"Boss?" Miyu tilted her head questioningly, leaning back into her seat as their food arrived.

"That is…I mean, uh…" Stammering, Yuri quickly grabbed a bread stick and began tearing small pieces off, cramming them into her mouth as she tried to stall.

"You must have been really hungry," Miyu murmured, watching with raised eyebrows as she pushed the bread basket closer to the girl. "By all means, get something into your stomach first."

"She's talking about Tsuna," Yamamoto jumped in with a small laugh. Now that Yuri had stalled for a bit, the rest of them had gotten the chance to their wits back about them. "Technically, we work under him. He got us all of our positions."

"Really?" Miyu's eyes widened as she turned to look at their young 'employer'. "How did you manage that?"

"I, uh…" Tsuna swallowed, not having expected to be put on the spot so suddenly. "I…put in a good word…I guess…?"

"The Tenth is the successor," Gokudera jumped in, making the announcement with a bit too much pride.

"Tenth?" Miyu gave them another quizzical stare. "You guys sure do have odd nicknames for him."

"It's because he'll be the tenth generation to inherit the company name," Yuri explained, still recovering from a breadstick eaten too quickly. "There are plenty of fanatics within the company that refer to him as such."

"It sounds like you're living quite a glamorous life," Miyu chuckled. "You'll have to tell me more about what it's like to be a company heir."

"Y…yeah. I'll be sure to," Tsuna promised half-heartedly.

"Ah, but enough about us," Yamamoto took notice of Tsuna's discomfort and cut in, giving the rest of them an opportunity to start in on the meal. "I want to know what you guys have been up to since you moved!"

"If you're looking for exciting tales of life in the big city, you're out of luck," She reached out, took a piece of calamari between slender fingers. "We rented out a small apartment, enrolled in the schools that were closest to us, made some friends, made some enemies. You know, standard fare."

"Enemies?" The notion was more than a little surprising. "Really?"

"Well, we hadn't really wanted to move at the time. Kazu-nii got into a lot of fights at school during our first year here. I…may have played a couple of mean spirited pranks on some girls in my class that I didn't quite get along with."

"_You_ did?"

"In my defense, they started it. But dad convinced us to find outlets, you know? Extra-curricular activities and such."

"You still do ballet, then?"

"I take classes on occasion, but I'm not very serious about it. I do it to stay flexible and keep in shape more than anything – otherwise, I kind of hate it. It's because of one of those recitals that I got scouted out, though, so I guess those years of practice weren't completely useless."

"Scouted?"

"It sounds kind of neat when I say it like that, doesn't it? It was really more of a happy coincidence than anything, though. My old ballet teacher's brother is a figure skating coach, and I caught his eye when he came to one of our recitals. He asked me to stop in at the rink and give skating a shot."

"And you liked it?"

"It's practically all I do these days." She grinned widely, leaving little doubt that she was passionate about the art.

"And Kazuo-sempai turned to baseball?"

"Of course."

Yamamoto laughed, "I bet he's improved a lot, right? He was always so focused."

"Yeah…" There was hesitation in her voice. "Naturally."

"By the way, what kept him from showing up today?"

"Hm..." She hummed thoughtfully, dabbing at the corners of her mouth with a napkin. "I think I'll just let you see for yourself."

"Huh?" Yamamoto blinked, brow creasing. "Did something happen?"

"Be patient," She smiled reassuringly and pushed her chair out. "I'm going to grab the bill, and we can get going as soon as you're all done eating. You can ask him yourself once we get there."

"Where are we going?"

She hesitated for a moment before answering him.

"The hospital."

* * *

><p>Despite being places of healing, hospitals seemed oddly designed to breed discomfort and tension. The white walls and linoleum floors, the sharp but indistinguishable scents, the dozens and dozens of white lab coats walking around…all of it was distinctly unsettling rather than reassuring.<p>

"She just decided to keep this from you?" Gokudera muttered as Miyu lead them into the sterilized establishment. "Seems suspicious."

"I wasn't expecting a tour of the hospital right after lunch," Tsuna agreed quietly, giving Yamamoto a concerned glance. "Are you worried?"

"Nah," True enough, his usual relaxed smile was plastered firmly on the swordsman's face. "Miyu doesn't seem all that bothered. I'm sure it's nothing big, and she must have her reasons for keeping it to herself. She probably didn't want to make us worry. She's just got that kind of personality, you know? They both do."

"Ah, that makes sense. I'm sure you're right," As always, Yamamoto was a reassuring presence, even though he was the only one that would be directly affected by the situation.

"Alright, alright, enough of the conspiratorial whispering back there," Miyu turned to face them as she pulled one of the hallway doors open, gesturing into the room. "Come on in – I'll bet he's excited to see you!"

With an impish grin, she crept in, motioning for them to follow her. As Yamamoto poked his head in, his eyes only found an empty bed and a curtain beside it, but he heard a familiar voice coming from the other side of the curtain.

"Oh, Miyu! You ended up coming? You know you didn't have to do that."

"Stop being an idiot. Of course I came."

"Of course," A lively laugh. "So? Did you meet Takeshi and his friends? Did that punk really get taller?"

"What are you asking me for? Your eyes still work, don't they?"

"…huh?"

Yamamoto grinned sheepishly as a new pair of eyes suddenly caught him staring.

His shoulders had broadened, his voice had deepened, his facial features had grown more chiseled – but the boy lying in that bed was unmistakably Yamamoto's childhood friend, and he wouldn't have been able to smother his own excitement even if he had wanted to.

"Yo! It's been awhile, Sempai!"

"Oi, oi, oi, who's this beanpole?! I sure don't recognize him! Miyu, did you bring a weirdo with you?"

"C-come on, Sempai…" Yamamoto chuckled nervously as Miyu swatted her brother over the head with a folded piece of paper.

"Geez, he comes all this way to visit, and this is how you greet him?" She scolded. "Do it properly!"

"Okay, okay, alright! I give!" The older boy laughed, throwing his arms up in surrender as she continued the weak attack. "I'm just kidding, come on!"

Grinning, he reached a hand out to Yamamoto, beckoning him over. Once he was within range, Kazuo pulled him down into a one armed hug, clapping him on the shoulder several times.

"What are you doing here?" Yamamoto finally asked as they pulled apart. "Sports injury?"

"Ah, you know how it goes. The boys can get rough out on the field sometimes! I'll be back on my feet in no time, though!" The two of them laughed, one oblivious to Miyu's glowering, the other ignoring it. "So tell me, do the heads poking out of the curtains over there belong to your friends?"

There was a soft collection of grunts and curses as the three boys pulled back hastily, the sounds punctuated by an exasperated sigh.

"What are you guys doing?" Yuri grumbled, slamming her shoulder into their backs and forcing them forward.

"Right, you guys still have to meet each other!" Sheepishly, they shuffled over to Yamamoto's side and briefly reenacted their introductions from earlier that morning.

"Man, you all came to visit me?" Kazuo asked once they finished, waving his hand in embarrassment. "That's too much, way too much! Here, pull some more chairs up! They've got several collapsible ones in the corner over there. I'm sure you've got a lot of stories to tell, right?"

As the boys settled down together, Yuri hung back, watching them for a moment before retreating back into the hallway and taking a seat just outside the door.

A couple minutes later, Miyu's head poked out.

"You're not going to join them, Yuri-chan?"

"No," She pulled her knees up to her chest, cringing at the honorific. "And leave that 'chan' off my name. It feels weird."

"Hmm…then, Yuri – you're not from Japan, are you?"

"What makes you say that?"

"I'd just call it a hunch, I guess," Smiling, Miyu pranced out of the room and joined her, sliding down against the wall. "You just seem kind of different from those boys. But don't worry, I won't pry."

"That would be best."

"Mm. Just one thing, though. If I leave the honorific off your name, you have to do the same for me. Deal?"

"…I think I can handle that." Yuri startled slightly as Miyu suddenly reached out and grabbed her hands, grinning from ear to ear.

"Then that means we're friends, right?"

"Huh?"

"Calling people without honorifics usually means you're close to them, right? I know we actually barely know each other, but we can still be friends, right?"

"Ah…yeah. I guess so." Yuri was surprised by her own response, but then again, she had never found herself in a situation quite like this. Besides, though she'd never say it aloud, having someone call her a 'friend' felt really…nice.

"I'm glad," The expression on Miyu's face was so sincere, Yuri felt the urge to look away out of sheer embarrassment. "Thank you, Yuri."

"What, do…do you not have any friends or something?"

"Huh? No, I…Oi. That's not really something you ask someone."

"Are you sure?"

"You're kind of strange, aren't you?"

"Shouldn't that be my line?"

Miyu giggled, but didn't respond.

After a moment, Yuri spoke up again.

"Can I ask you a question, then?"

"Of course!"

"You're not telling Yamamoto the truth, are you?"

Miyu didn't even look surprised, just sad, "Why do you say that?"

"I'd just call it a hunch," Yuri laced her fingers behind her head, casually spitting the line back at her. "I won't pry. But I will say this: if something bad had happened to someone I cared about, I'd want to know."

"…I'll keep that in mind."

Yuri nodded silently, lifting a hand as Tsuna and Gokudera suddenly poked their heads out as well.

"Ah, you're out here?" Tsuna looked relieved.

Yuri was already getting to her feet, "What's the matter?"

"Nothing," Tsuna responded just as Gokudera jutted his thumb back towards the room and growled out, "Turf-top and that other baseball nut have more in common than they thought."

Creeping forward on her hands and knees, Yuri peeked back into the room, straining her ears to pick up the conversation. As it turned out, that was an unnecessary measure.

"So you have a younger sister too?!" Kazuo was laughing. "Aren't they adorable? Especially when they were tiny! Being an older brother is the best!"

"_Extremely!_ Kyoko was the cutest baby in the world!"

"Somehow…" Tsuna murmured thoughtfully. "It doesn't really surprise me that those two would hit it off so easily."

"Mm…" Yuri hummed in agreement, her lips twitching into a small smirk as Ryohei brought up Kyoko again. It was really very sweet seeing just how much he cared about his sister. "Hey, this Kyoko girl he's talking about – do you know her?"

Tsuna's face immediately grew so hot he may as well have been lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Ah. I see." Yuri had her answer before he could even try to reply. "She must be cute."

An elated gasp was the only warning Yuri had before a set of hands suddenly clamped down on her shoulders and pushed her out of sight, "You have a crush?!"

"Not much tact in this one, is there?" Yuri grunted from under Miyu.

To Tsuna's great relief, the conversation within the room took a turn that suddenly dominated the girl's attention.

"Let me tell you about this time when Miyu was four," Kazuo's exuberant voice drifted out.

"Whoa, no no no, stop right there!" Again, Yuri was shoved aside roughly as Miyu struggled to her feet. "I'm going to have to crash this party! Once Kazu-nii gets started, he's like one of those mothers that pulls out the family photo album and points out all of the embarrassing ones where you're tiny, naked, and probably covered in cake. Nope, nope, nope, stop right there!"

"Did I seriously just tell that girl I'd be friends with her?" Yuri grumbled under her breath as she pushed herself back up, waving aside Tsuna's concern. "I can't keep up with that…"

"Aw, come on," Kazuo was whining as they rejoined the rest of the gang back in the room. "Just let me tell one little story, a teeny tiny _really_ super short one? It's not embarrassing, I swear!"

"No way!"

"I'd like to hear it," Yamamoto said supportively. "It's probably not as-"

"You're just as bad as him!" She pointed an accusatory finger. "Besides, you know all of them already!"

"Not _all_ of them," Kazuo whispered, eyebrows waggling mischievously.

"You may as well just ask me to punch myself." Miyu groaned, covering her face. "Hey, we have a bona fide boxer in our midst! Why don't you ask _him_, just to really hammer your point home?"

"Alright, calm down," He chuckled, beckoning her over. "Come over here, squirt."

"What is it with you and those demeaning nicknames?" She complained, making her way around to the other side of his bed. When he reached out and grabbed her hand, though, her demeanor softened quickly.

"Thanks for bringing them over, Miyu. This has been fun." He grinned broadly as he turned to the rest of them, and the resemblance between the siblings was suddenly far more pronounced. "But you guys are in New York! Come on, don't spend your time here cooped up in this depressing old room with me – go out and see the sights, get to know the city a little better!"

"But-" Yamamoto was quick to protest, his words quickly followed by others', but they went ignored as Kazuo turned back to his sister.

"Can I count on you to get them outta here?"

"Right now? We've barely spent any time with you."

"There'll be plenty more chances."

"Fine, fine," She sighed, leaning down to peck him on the cheek. "Expect us to be in here on a daily basis. I'll smuggle in some real food for you tomorrow."

"You're the best," Pulling her hand closer, he pressed her knuckles to his lips briefly before releasing her. "Now get out, you dweebs."

"No need to resort to name calling," Yamamoto chuckled as he stood up hesitantly. "We'll visit you again."

"Definitely!" Ryohei agreed energetically.

"Come on, come on," Miyu grabbed their arms, pulling them towards the door. "He won't admit it, but he needs his beauty sleep."

"Oi!" Her brother protested.

"It's true – he gets ugly if he sleeps less than twelve hours a day, it's horrifying. His face gets all droopy and his hands get wrinkly and he actually starts to lose hair!"

"Out!" He laughed, tossing a pillow at her with significant force.

"I-it was nice to meet you!" Tsuna struggled to get a word in edgewise between the banter and Miyu's ushering, Gokudera and Yuri following his lead in dipping their heads respectfully. He could just see the bedbound boy lifting his hand with a wistful smile on his face before Miyu shut the door behind them.

"So, that was fun and mildly traumatizing!" She said with a sardonic grin, clapping her hands together. "But he's right, there's a lot more of New York that you have to see! We've still got several hours before the sun sets – is there anything you guys wanted to do in particular?"

While the others began humming thoughtfully, Ryohei was the first to come up with a suggestion, "An _extreme_ climb up the tallest building!"

"Empire State Building," She was impressively unfazed. "Check!"

"W-wait," Tsuna was apprehensive. "You're not…serious?"

She just winked at him and said, "Anything else?"

"That big green statue is here, right?" She couldn't help laughing at Yamamoto's eloquent description.

"The Statue of Liberty, yeah. It's probably too late to take any of the ferries out to Ellis Island or Staten Island today, though –we should probably stick to the Manhattan area, but I'll make sure to take you guys some other time! Besides those…" Crossing her arms, she looked down in thought. "Well, you guys have only seen a fraction of Central Park. There's also Times Square, Rockefeller Center, Downtown, some museums…" Her eyes widened as she ticked them off on her fingers.

"That…sounds like a lot."

"Yeah, we need to get moving," Spreading her arms out, she began shuffling forward, steering them towards the exit. "Big day ahead of you! Chop chop, let's go go go!"

"I'm not sure whether I should feel excited or terrified," Tsuna said, twisting around to look at her.

"Don't worry, once we get started, you'll be too busy and too tired to feel either!"

* * *

><p>She hadn't been exaggerating.<p>

Tsuna had done a lot of walking before, but he never imagined he could possibly appreciate a nicely cushioned chair quite so much. Several hours into the city tour, his feet and his legs had begun to hurt; now, they were just numb.

She had started them out at the Empire State Building, which was admittedly impressive. They ended up spending an hour just on the lower floors and their exhibits before even setting foot in the elevator that would take them up to the observation decks.

Even though he didn't get the chance to really "climb" it, Ryohei was suitably impressed with the building's view. The rest of them had honestly spent most of their time trying not to look like they were associated him in any way as he ran back and forth, yelling at the top of his lungs and feeding coin after coin into the viewing machines. Needless to say, they had spent over an hour up there before they were finally able to pry him away.

Next up had been Times Square, where they really only had time to walk along the main street, gawk for a bit, and grab a quick bite to eat before Miyu had whisked them away to the Rockefeller Center.

The reason behind her eagerness had become clear fairly quickly when a large ice rink came into view, and she had no qualms about getting them each a pair of skates and dragging them out onto the ice.

It had been an interesting experience, to say the least.

Then Ryohei had discovered that there was a viewing deck there as well, and his decision couldn't be swayed. Once they had finally convinced him to come back down to the ground level, there had been just enough time to see a few of the main attractions in the plaza before being ushered onto a bus headed downtown.

Two stops into the ride, they discovered Yuri's predisposition towards motion sickness.

The hard way.

After getting her a bottle of water and some antihistamines from the nearest drugstore, they decided to drop downtown from their plans and just start walking back towards Central Park. With the extra time, and an abundance of stores and small boutiques, Miyu decided it was time to go shopping.

Which was how they ended up sitting outside the women's fitting rooms, massaging their aching legs and hoping the two girls would take their time coming out. Judging by the fact that they could hear Yuri's protests from where they were, it was likely a wish that was too good to be true.

"It doesn't sound like she's enjoying herself in there," Tsuna commented as a particularly frustrated sounding curse drifted out of the rooms.

"Not nearly as much as Miyu had promised she would, anyways," Yamamoto winced as another string of obscenities exploded into the air, followed by a strangled screech.

"Sounds like she's being tortured…" Gokudera agreed with an expression of mild horror.

"Extremely unpleasant." Ryohei nodded, opting to lift his hands over his ears in an attempt to block out the girls' bickering from within.

"Oh, come on, Yuri! Just try it on!"

"Hell no!"

"It'll look so cute on you!"

"What's the point in looking cute? There's nothing practical about that!"

"Not everything has to be practical, you know."

"And absolutely nothing should ever leave so little to the imagination."

"No no, look, it'll show off your legs! You're so tall, you need to accentuate that! Highlight your strong points!"

"Is my _stomach_ a strong point?"

"Obviously," The word came out as a scoff. "Look at how toned it is. What, have you been spending your whole life in a gym?"

"O-oi! Don't just suddenly lift a person's shirt up-! _Hey!_"

"What's this? Oh, _what_ is this? Yuri! Why would you bind your chest like this? I thought you looked a bit flatter than usual, but…oh, this is just cruel!"

"What the hell are you-? Oi! _Oi!_"

Four faces were growing bright shades of red and pink outside, despite their valiant attempts to avoid eavesdropping.

"There, now isn't that better?"

"How in the world did you do that so quickly?"

"Wow, I'm jealous. They're so perky and cu-!"

"_Not. Another. Word._"

"Okay, okay. You are absolutely not allowed to do that ever again, though. It's not good for you at all, and it's dangerous! I can't believe you haven't broken a rib or passed out from this before."

"What?" A sudden sharp intake of breath. "...oh."

"Huh? 'Oh'? What do you mean '_oh_'?"

"That explains some things."

"…I have half a mind to smack you right now. _Please_ tell me you aren't serious!"

Silence.

"Okay, well, you haven't slept with this on, have you?"

More silence, this time followed by a sharp crack and a pained hiss.

"I can't believe you! I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it, but couldn't you have at least done some of your own research?! Geez," The door suddenly opened with a loud squeak. "Stay here, I'll be right back."

"Wh-? Where are you going?"

"Stay!"

Miyu suddenly came tromping out of the fitting room, a long strand of bandages looped around her fist. Tossing it into the garbage can, she walked right by the boys, disappearing into one of the nearby racks.

A few minutes later, she reemerged with what looked like several sports bras in hand. As she passed by the boys once more, she gave them a passing glance and immediately let out an amused snort. Without saying a word, she walked back into the fitting room, still giggling and shaking her head as she left the scarlet-faced gang to simmer quietly.

Not one of them uttered a single word.

"What are those?" Yuri asked as she stepped back into the changing stall.

"The next best thing to a professional binder. Just layer two of these over each other and you'll get the same results without so many health hazards."

"Wh-?"

"Just do it. You don't have much of a choice now, I threw the bandages away."

"…" There was a quiet grumbling as she followed Miyu's instructions, followed up by a surprised little, "Huh."

"Is it easier to breathe? Ribs don't feel ready to snap at any second?"

"No gloating. Smugness doesn't suit you."

"Okay, okay, fine. But in return, will you at least _try_ the dress on? We don't have to buy it, just indulge me a little!"

"But it's so…_exposed_. Just taking a step in that will give people a view that I doubt they want."

"That's why I thought ahead and grabbed this. And I even picked out shoes. After I went to all that work, you're really just going to-?"

"_Fine_, give me that already."

An amazingly high pitched squeal filled the surrounding area.

"You're going to make me go deaf."

"And _you're_ going to look gorgeous!"

"Whatever. Zip up the back, will you?"

"Of course! Now the shoes, the shoes!"

"There. Okay? You happy now?"

"Almost!"

"Almost?"

"You _have_ to show the boys!"

"What? _What?_ No, absolutely not, that wasn't part of the, hey, wait just a-!"

The sounds of their struggle grew closer as they made their way down the hallway and towards the entrance.

"You are _so small_," Yuri grunted, a pair of feet suddenly sliding into view around the corner. "How can you be so damn strong?"

"I'm a force of nature!" Came the jovial response as the pair finally came into view. "Ta-da! I am – _oof_ – proud to present a stunning work of art, if I do say so myself!"

The effect of the satisfied announcement was significantly downplayed by the fact that she literally had her back braced against the self-proclaimed "work of art".

The boys couldn't keep their eyes from widening as their gazes fell upon the rare sight of Yuri in a dress. It was yellow. It was lacy. A strip of sheer fabric exposed her stomach and sides, and the skirt was indeed very, very short. Miyu had given her a pair of black tights to wear underneath, along with a modest pair of ankle boots, but the sight was somehow still…shocking.

"_Ahem_," Miyu coughed conspicuously, pulling them out of their silence.

"Ah, you look great!" Yamamoto was the first to respond. "I don't think I've ever seen you in a skirt before, but it's really cute!"

"Extremely cute!" Ryohei agreed as Tsuna began nodding mechanically.

"Y-yeah. It really suits you," He said with a genuine smile, even if his words weren't nearly as sincere. It wasn't that she looked bad, but discomfort radiated off of her in waves, making the entire ensemble seem awkward and out of place.

"It doesn't look terrible," Gokudera's effort was subpar, to say the least.

Miyu was the only one that didn't understand what memories were resurfacing for every one of them, the haunting image of Yuri clad in a brothel's suggestive outfit, the disgust on her face, the terror in her eyes.

But those were gone now. The only expression on her face was one of mild embarrassment, her eyes free of dread and dry of tears. She wasn't a girl trapped in a horrific lifestyle, forced to commit crimes against her will – she was a teenager out shopping with her friends.

That thought alone was enough to make their smiles honest and heartfelt.

"Okay, I look good, whatever." Yuri mumbled, fingers tugging at the hem of the skirt, gaze fixed on the ground, her cheeks dusted with red. "Can we just go now?"

"Alright, alright, Pouty Pants," Miyu giggled. "Go ahead and get changed back. I'll take care of the bras."

"You do that," The response was rushed as she literally ran back to the stall.

"…" Miyu waited until she was out of earshot before turning to the boys and whispering, "I'm buying that dress!"

Humming happily, she skipped off to grab duplicates of the ensemble.

"She seems so innocent, but she actually…kind of scares me," Tsuna mumbled, and Yamamoto laughed awkwardly.

"I think she's…gotten worse over the years."

"That's not reassuring."

After some more fussing and arguing, they finally finished up and left the store to begin walking towards their final stop. One twenty minute walk later, they had finally arrived back where they had started: Central Park.

With the sun setting, Miyu made quick work as their guide, showing them what the park had to offer. They passed extravagant fountains and immaculate statues, arches and bridges, lakes and ponds, gorgeous gardens and large recreational fields. Without the fear of getting lost hanging over their heads, it was much easier to enjoy and appreciate the impressive location.

After having seen all of that, Tsuna was shocked to hear that they hadn't even come close to exploring the whole park by the time they returned to the carousel, the sky turning into soft shades of pink and orange above them.

"We're nowhere near the halfway point," Miyu told him with a laugh as his jaw dropped. "Since it's getting dark, though, we should probably stop here. I don't want you to walk home in the dark. The carousel's open now, though," She jutted her thumb over her shoulder, pointing at the lively attraction, sounds of laughing children and whimsical music drifting out invitingly. "What do you say we take a spin, just to commemorate the occasion?"

"Look at my head," Yuri said with a frown. "Do you see it shaking? This is me saying 'no'. So why does something tell me I'm going to be getting on that torture device anyways?"

"Because you learn quickly," Miyu giggled, looping her arm through the other girl's. "Let's go!"

Yuri let out a loud and exaggerated groan, rolling her eyes at the boys as she was pulled along. She already knew by now that it would simply be less work _not_ to fight against Miyu's incredibly strong will.

"Come on," Tsuna said encouragingly as she hung her head while Miyu bought their tickets. "It should be fun!"

"Have you already forgotten today's bus incident?"

"Oh. Um." He had, admittedly. Spinning around in a circle probably wasn't the best activity for someone with motion sickness. "Well…it'll be short?"

"Let's just get it over with," She grumbled, stomping ahead as Miyu waved them forward.

Rushing ahead of them, Ryohei pulled himself up onto the platform and immediately picked out one of the horses that was rearing up on its hind legs majestically. He clambered onto its back clumsily and lifted his fists into the air triumphantly. Many of the nearby children gazed up at him in awe, though his friends weren't nearly as impressed with the display.

Tsuna chose to mount one of the more modest horses, its legs bent mid-gallop, making the body closer to the ground and easier to climb onto. Naturally, Gokudera took the one next to him, while Yuri stalwartly refused to take a seat anywhere, opting to simply stand. A stern glare was all it took to keep even the ride's operators from interfering with her decision.

Surprisingly, Miyu ended up taking a seat on one of the few benches the attraction had to offer, laying her purse across her lap with a content smile. As the platform slowly began spinning again, Yamamoto decided to take the empty spot beside her.

"Not a fan of horses?" He asked casually, making he grin.

"It's not that I dislike them, I just prefer the benches. When I was too small to ride the horses on my own, Kazu-nii would always sit on the bench with me, even though he liked the horses better. I've got more good memories of riding the carousel this way."

"That sounds like him," Yamamoto laughed. They sat in silence for a moment, watching the park's scenery move by as the carnival music played overhead, before he finally spoke up again. "Hey, Miyu…why is he really in the hospital?"

"Are we really that easy to read?" Again, she wore a sad smile, not a single sign of surprise on her face.

"You two were always just as good at lying as I was."

"By which you mean awful."

"By which I mean," He nodded. "So you may as well just come clean."

She inhaled deeply, letting the air out through her nose.

"Alright...he doesn't want you to know, but…I don't think that's fair to you," She murmured. "About two years ago…he took a pretty rough tumble during one of his games. He was complaining about pain in his knee, and we all assumed he had just twisted something. But it never went away. It just got worse."

As she spoke, a tight knot was beginning to form in the pit of Yamamoto's stomach. He already knew it had to be something worse than just a torn ligament or a broken bone, but the tone of her voice told him it was something he should be dreading.

"One day I went to wake him up because he was late for school, and…he was in so much pain. The swelling was…it just wasn't normal. So we took him straight to the doctor; they took an x-ray, and sent us back home, told us to wait for their call."

"Miyu…" Yamamoto spoke softly, unwittingly calling out to the young girl he was envisioning, sitting on a couch with her brother's head in her lap, wringing her hands in worry, fighting off tears for the sake of her family. It was such a vivid image, he couldn't help reaching out to rest his fingers on her elbow, hoping to offer some form of comfort, though she barely seemed to notice. She was just as engrossed in her own story.

But for her, they were memories.

"They got back to us that night, saying he needed to go in for an MRI right away. I remember the nurse on the phone was a woman. She sounded so kind, but her words felt so…cruel. She told us, 'Be strong. You have a long road ahead of you.'"

_What an awful thing to say_, Yamamoto thought, lips curling into an uncharacteristic frown.

"They took the MRI the next day and came back to us with the word 'Osteosarcoma'."

Yamamoto stopped breathing.

He didn't know the specifics, but one single word went screaming through his mind, and he knew in his gut that it wasn't wrong.

Cancer.

"There was a tumor on his leg. And it had already metastasized to his lungs. They put him on a 29 week chemotherapy plan, and scheduled an operation for his leg. They had to…take out the piece of the bone with the tumor and replace it with a graft. He couldn't walk afterwards. And the chemo…it was painful just watching him go through with it, I can't even begin to imagine how _he_ felt. I'll spare you the details…but he got so thin so quickly, and he eventually needed to use a feeding tube, it was…" She trailed off, swallowing thickly, unable to finish. "A couple months later, he had surgery on his right lung, which removed three small tumors. Two weeks later, the left lung, four tumors this time. He came away with these scars that looked like he had been an angel once, and that his wings had been stolen. It was really kind of…fitting."

That was believable. Kazuo had always seemed like a gift, someone sent to make the lives around him better. He had a heart of gold, a kind word for everyone, a good deed always waiting to be done. Maybe it was true, what they said about good people…

Yamamoto couldn't bear to even finish the thought.

"And then the chemo treatment was done. He made it through the last round, and we were able to go home. We were done…we were _done_. He enrolled back in school, he rejoined the baseball team – he started getting better."

It was clear from the look on her face that this wasn't the end of the story. So Yamamoto stayed silent, waiting for her to continue, hoping, hoping, _hoping_ she wouldn't say the words that he was so terrified of hearing.

She took a deep breath, licked her lips.

"Every six months, they have him come back in for a set of post chemo scans. Yesterday, he had an appointment." Yamamoto began shaking his head, but she wasn't about to stop for his benefit. He had been the one to ask. She was going to give him a straight answer, no matter how much it hurt. "The CT scan came back with…he…it's back. Two large tumors in the left lung, larger than any of the ones they removed before. A new one in the same leg."

"No," The word was little more than a whisper, barely audible as his head continued to shake and shake and shake.

"They're going to put him on a new chemo treatment. They'll have to…" She bit her lip, blinking hard to free the tears from her lashes. "They're going to have to amputate."

Exhaling harshly, Yamamoto doubled over, dropping his face into his hands.

Amputate.

Kazuo's baseball career was over, before it had even had the chance to begin.

_Amputate_.

How could he still have looked so optimistic while they were visiting? How could he have grinned and laughed with them, while this crushing knowledge was eating away at him inside?

Yamamoto bit down hard on his lip, the taste of iron flooding into his mouth. He had been naïve, stupidly, stupidly optimistic. Why, why, _why-? _

A gentle touch on his shoulder.

The world began to slow, the ride coming to a gradual stop.

He felt sick.

"Yamamoto."

Reluctantly, he lifted his face to look at her, the second unfortunate soul that had been forced to bear this burden.

She was smiling.

Her cheeks were dry.

"He's not dead. With today's technology, he can get amazing prosthetics. He's going to fight this. And he's going to win. You know him just as well as I do – he won't give in to something like this. It's just a speed bump. He's going to get past it."

"…yeah." Straightening his back, he rearranged his face to mirror hers, an optimistic smile resting on his face despite the crushing dismay that filled his heart. He had never expected his day would end like this, but giving in to those feelings wouldn't help anyone. He always knew these siblings were a pair of fighters. He needed to follow their example. "You're right. And we'll be there for him, every step of the way."

Miyu smiled and nodded, not realizing how literal he was being.

He was going to stay by his friend's side as he fought this battle.

Even if it meant staying in America.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Oof, just a little over 10,000 words! Since I spent nearly half a year without writing a single word, it was pretty difficult to get back into the swing of things, so I'm sorry if the quality of the writing in this chapter seems a little...lower than usual. I'm currently working on editing the earlier chapters as well, so updates may be a bit slower than usual, but I promise I don't plan to leave you guys hanging for another six months. As always, thanks so much for reading, reviewing, and supporting me in general - you have no idea how much it means to me. I hope you're all doing well, and happy holidays!


	13. No Pressure

Yamamoto was like a ghost the next day.

His smiles still made frequent appearances, but they didn't quite reach his eyes, which had uncharacteristically dark bags under them, and none of his laughter seemed quite as lively as usual. After he had brushed their concerns aside multiple times, Tsuna and the others decided to let the issue rest, at least until later. There were other things to worry about.

Today was the day they were meeting with the consigliere from The Commission. Reborn, thankfully, had decided to accompany them on this particular outing, while Ryohei and Yuri had opted to stay behind.

"It sounds extremely…dull," The boxer had said, clearly not understanding any of the politics involved when they had attempted to explain the situation to him. Evidently, he preferred to continue exploring the recreational facilities that the hotel had to offer.

"Someone should probably stay behind and keep an eye on him," Yuri had followed up. "Keep him from getting in too much trouble. Just tell me how it goes."

So in the end, only Gokudera and Yamamoto decided to accompany him for the meeting. Tsuna was glad he wouldn't be going alone – he was meeting an established member of the American Mafia, after all.

Reborn seemed to have more concerns, though, checking in on him as they walked down the street, "Do you feel prepared, Tsuna?"

"Eh…" Rubbing the back of his neck nervously, Tsuna glanced at the baby perched on his shoulder. "Well, I think I understand the situation pretty well. I won't be doing anything directly, right? I won't have to deal with the Trovare, just the Commission?"

"No, but you're still playing a large role. Mafia families, especially those in the Commission, take their alliances very seriously; if they've got a mole taking refuge in their territory and under their name, it's just as much their problem as it is ours. But you're still the one that's filing the complaint – you're expected to take responsibility."

"Why does it sound like they're expecting a lot from me…?"

"Because they are. In fact, they might still think you're an adult, not some scrawny teenager. Word travels a bit more slowly overseas."

"Wh-what?!" Shock laced Tsuna's voice, making it shoot up in pitch. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier? What if they think I'm faking?"

"Then you'll be punished," Reborn frowned as his student let out a familiar little '_Hiiee!'_. "You'll just need to work harder to prove yourself to them. Respect isn't always handed to you on a silver platter because you're associated with a powerful name. You've got to earn it, just like anyone else."

"I…but…what if I say something wrong? I don't know anything about being a mafia boss!"

"That's why you're learning. What do you think the point of this assignment is?"

"There aren't any…classes?" Tsuna knew he sounded ridiculous before the words had even left his mouth. "Or at least, couldn't the Ninth have taught me something while we were in Italy?"

"Didn't he?"

"He didn't!"

"Think harder, baka-Tsuna. Before Italy, would you have known how to track down a corrupt Mafioso, much less how to deal with one? Did you understand how the politics work in the mafia, or to what lengths a boss might have to go to in order to protect his family?"

"Well…" Tsuna wanted to protest, but he didn't have the words. All of it was true, after all.

By being placed directly into the environment, Tsuna had come face to face with the mafia, both its good and its bad sides. By meeting Yuri, he had done plenty of things that he never would have imagined himself being capable of, though a lot of it had felt like a slap in the face – which was a lesson in and of itself. Even after everything they'd been through with the Varia, the Millefiore, the Simon family…he had still been naïve about just what the mafia was. Something told him that even if Yuri hadn't been assigned as his guide, if he had never even met her at all, he would have had a similar set of experiences anyway. That was just the kind of world they lived in, where a story like Yuri's wasn't necessarily unique.

"He could have had you sit down and study history, relations, politics, but do you think you would have understood any of that? Just look at your grades in school," Reborn continued, taking Tsuna's silence as understanding. "You learn best through first hand experiences, and you've always grown the fastest when under pressure. The best way for you to gain these skills is to just throw yourself into the situation."

Unable to come up with any retort, Tsuna simply tilted his head back and let out a low groan, settling for a simple, "At least I'm not by myself."

"We may be coming along with you, but don't forget that you're the boss, Tsuna. I fully expect you to do all of the talking here," The hitman reminded him harshly.

"Why are you even coming, then?" Tsuna grumbled, pushing his fists deeper into his pockets.

"This isn't just some test. You're on your first real assignment, so I have to make sure you don't screw it up. If you make too many mistakes, it'll reflect badly on the Vongola family as a whole," Reborn's frown deepened, showing that he was serious. "But I'm not going to hold your hand and guide you through it. These are things you need to learn to do on your own."

Tsuna sighed, knowing no amount of protesting would change the hitman's stance on the matter.

"Yeah, I get it already…" He muttered, allowing his gaze to slide over to Yamamoto once more. The swordsman was staring vacantly at the sky, as he had been doing all morning whenever someone wasn't speaking to him, a blank smile occupying his face like an 'Out of Service' sign more than a proper facial expression.

Tsuna could feel his brow wrinkling in worry as his line of sight moved on to the final member of their party: Jonathan, the interpreter that had greeted them when they first arrived. He wanted to try talking to Yamamoto again, but he didn't want to say too much in front of the stranger.

Instead, he just let out another heavy sigh and dropped his gaze to the ground – between the concern he had for his friend and the apprehension he felt with this upcoming meeting, Tsuna couldn't help feeling like the world was resting on his shoulders.

"My, no need to look so glum, Vongola Tenth," Jonathan took the silence as an opportunity to speak up as he stepped ahead of them. "After all, if something goes wrong, you can always just say that something was lost in translation – not that I plan to make such a mistake, of course."

"Ah…that's kind of you," Even though he was saying so, Tsuna balked at the implication. Throwing someone else under the bus just to save his own skin didn't seem like the best way to start creating a reputation for himself. "B-but there's no way I could possibly do that."

"Of course not," Gokudera growled beside him. "The Tenth won't make any mistakes, so don't do him any unnecessary favors. You'll just get in the way."

"G-Gokudera…" Lifting his hands, Tsuna prepared to placate bomber, but was cut off by Jonathan's lively laughter.

"Of course, forgive me for presuming as much," He gave a deep bow as he pulled the door to a small café open. It was small, dimly lit diner nestled between a much larger shop and a dank looking alley. "We've arrived at the designated location, in any case. You remember what to look for?"

"Red flannel and a baseball cap," Tsuna recited as he stepped in cautiously, "Blue bag next to the table."

"Very good, Vongola Tenth," Bowing once more, Jonathan fell in step behind him, signifying that he planned to follow Tsuna's lead.

Gulping, Tsuna turned to scan the dark building, trying hard not to look conspicuous as he peered into booths and peeked at the faces sitting at the counter. As he continued to search without success, he only grew more nervous. Had the consigliere not arrived yet? Or was he just failing this test already?

"Don't be so tense, Tsuna," Flinching slightly as an arm wrapped around his shoulders, Tsuna glanced up to find Yamamoto standing beside him with an encouraging grin. "It's just talking, right? I don't think there's much that can go wrong!"

"Yama…" Tsuna's voice trailed off as gratitude took hold of him. It was the first time the swordsman had spoken since they left the hotel, and Tsuna had assumed that he hadn't been paying attention to their conversation on the way over. Though his grin still didn't quite reach his eyes, Tsuna could tell it was genuine. Whatever was on his mind, it didn't change the fact that Yamamoto had his back. "Yeah. You're right."

Tsuna had almost allowed himself to forget why he was putting himself in this position in the first place.

Clearing his throat, he turned his attention back to the café to try once more. This time, he spotted what he was looking for almost immediately, his eyes drifting to the man of their own accord. Sure enough, he was wearing a red flannel shirt with a black baseball cap pulled low over his eyes, a blue duffel bag lying limply beside his legs.

"There," Tsuna muttered, preparing to lift a hand to point him out before thinking better of it. It was best to avoid anything that would draw attention to them. "The booth at the end, opposite from the window."

"_Very_ good," Jonathan repeated appraisingly. "Well, let's go introduce you, shall we? Don't want to let him think you're a man of habitual tardiness."

Pushing past them, the interpreter made his way towards the table, gesturing for them to stay close. As they approached, the man in question glanced up, his eyes narrowing as he lowered a small glass of alcohol that he had been nursing. Beaming, Jonathan lifted a hand in greeting as he said something in English. Tsuna couldn't understand all of it, but he caught a few words that he recognized – something about sandwiches. Recognition flickered in the man's eyes, but his scowl only deepened as he waved them into the booth, moving over so Jonathan could sit beside him while the boys took their seats across from them.

"Hm," Jonathan hummed thoughtfully as the man spoke, reaching possessively for the drink he had set down moments earlier. "He wants us to order something before we start."

"Alright," Tsuna nodded, and the man lifted an arm to wave the waitress over. "Just order anything for us – we've already eaten."

"Right away," Jonathan nodded, opening up the menu to scan the items as the young woman approached them with a pen and pad of paper in hand. After thinking it over for a moment, he looked up at her and flashed a charming smile, listing off several simple items. Thanking her, he closed the menu and passed it back to her, folding his hands neatly in front of him as she left. "I hope you like soup."

"That's fine," Tsuna nodded with a tense, but kind smile. "Thank you, Jonathan."

"Don't waste time on pleasantries, Tsuna," Reborn muttered quietly beside him. "Hurry up and get to the point."

Tsuna's brow wrinkled in slight irritation – what was wrong with being polite? But he couldn't hold onto the feeling for long. Despite all his talk on the way over, it seemed Reborn _was_ there to help him, even if he wasn't exactly nice about it. Clearing his throat quietly, Tsuna lifted his hands onto the table where everyone could see them, keeping his body language open as he turned his attention to the consigliere. He didn't bother making sure Jonathan was ready before speaking, having already learned from Yuri that it was an unnecessary step that hindered the conversation more than anything.

"Thank you for taking the time to meet with us today," His voice was halting as he tried to figure out exactly what to say, but the words began to flow more easily as Jonathan effortlessly reflected the sentiment in perfect English. "I'm Sawada Tsunayoshi, but you can feel free to just call me Tsuna. These are my companions, Gokudera and Yamamoto, and this is my…advisor, Reborn. It's nice to meet you, um…?"

The consigliere shifted, murmured something as he pulled off his hat. Even before Jonathan spoke, Tsuna could already tell that the words he had to say didn't quite mirror the friendliness of his own.

"You don't need to know my name," His eyes were cold, scrutinizing. "I've heard of Reborn – you and your 'companions', on the other hand…well, you're a strange case. I assume you're just a messenger of some sort, since there's no way you could be a consigliere. So the question is: what is someone like you doing with bodyguards like those, much less an advisor like Reborn?"

Tsuna stiffened at the words, and he could easily feel Gokudera doing the same beside him, but he did his best to maintain a pleasant expression as he replied.

"I see," He let out a small, nervous laugh, trying hard not to stutter. "Well, you're only half right, really. I guess I am a messenger, of _some_ sort. To be more specific, the Ninth has chosen me as his heir, who will succeed him as the Tenth Vongola boss. And these two aren't bodyguards – they're close friends and core members of my family. Please treat them well."

It was clear his words had surprised the consigliere, as the man's eyes widened and scanned over him once more, as though seeing him in a new light. But that was the limit of his reaction.

"…is that right?" He finally replied with a frown, his eyebrows drawing together. "You're just a kid. You don't look like you've got even a drop of Italian blood in you. Has the Vongola lost it? I know you can't be the Ninth's kid – did he not have the sense to have a son of his own? He must be desperate if he's resorted to…you."

The words felt like a slap to the face. It wasn't the first time Tsuna had faced skepticism about his ability to become a boss, but it was the first time his face had grown hot with a deep sense of not only shame, but also anger.

"That's kind of harsh," Yamamoto murmured with a disquieted expression, while Gokudera slammed his fist into the table.

"How _dare_ you speak to the Tenth like that," Tsuna was glad that Jonathan had decided to stop translating as the bomber proceeded to spit out a string of vile threats and obscenities. Truthfully, there was a part of Tsuna that wanted to let him continue, but he knew better than to give that part any power.

"…that's enough, Gokudera," He finally interrupted the tirade, placing a firm hand on his friend's shoulder. "I can handle this."

"But he-!" The protest sputtered out into surprised silence as the bomber caught sight of his Tsuna's face. There was no flame on his forehead, but he wore an expression that was nearly identical to the one he adopted when entering his hyper dying will mode. Even more striking were his eyes – he was _furious_. "R…right…o-of course."

"Mister," Tsuna's voice was low as he finally turned to address the consigliere once more. "I apologize if I'm not quite what you had in mind. But the Ninth is like a grandfather to me, and I won't tolerate and words spoken against him. To answer your question, he had three sons – all of whom were murdered. I would advise against bringing the topic up again." Lacing his fingers, Tsuna's hands clenched reflexively as he leaned forward, his voice lowering further until it was little more than a soft murmur. "And I have no reason to justify myself to you, but it might set your mind at ease to know that I'm a direct descendent of the Vongola Primo. I may not be Italian, but if you'd like to argue customs and traditions, this family is my birthright. Now, if that's all, I came here to conduct business under the impression that everyone would handle themselves professionally. If you have any further criticisms about my position, you're welcome to voice them to the Ninth yourself – he's only a short phone call away."

Leaning back, Tsuna gazed at the man levelly, desperately hoping his bluff wouldn't be called. In truth, he had no idea whether or not the Ninth could be reached at the moment, much less whether or not the Vongola was his "birthright". But he had to sound confident.

To his immense relief, the consigliere's mouth quirked up into an amused smirk as he let out a small laugh through his nose, crossing his arms and leaning back as well.

"Alright, you've made your point. It would seem looks can be deceiving, as I've obviously misjudged you. Forgive my audacity, Vongola Tenth. It's an honor to meet you." Letting out a breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding in the first place, Tsuna sunk back into his seat, the tension draining out of him as the potential conflict was successfully averted. He could hear Reborn letting out a small chuckle beside him.

"Not bad, Tsuna." He couldn't help but smile slightly at the praise, even if it was short.

"Well done, Tenth!" Gokudera whispered gleefully beside him. "He has no right to speak to you that way – you really put him in his place!"

"That was impressive," Yamamoto agreed, eyeing him closely. "And a little bit scary!"

"I-it was nothing, you guys," Tsuna replied quietly, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "I honestly just made it up as I went along…"

"It's not a bad skill to have," Reborn added, knocking his small fist lightly against Tsuna's skull. "You're not done yet, though – pay attention."

"A-ah, right," Straightening back up, Tsuna brought his focus back to the consigliere, who was now rifling through the contents of the blue duffel bag.

"So, to begin, there was-" Just as the consigliere was about to start speaking, the waitress arrived with several bowls of soup in hand. Taking advantage of the pause in the conversation, Jonathan caught Tsuna's eye and offered a quick wink before turning his attention back to the young woman. Once she finished distributing their utensils and napkins, she slid the bill onto the corner of the table with a small smile before leaving them to continue the conversation.

"As I was saying," Clearing his throat, the consigliere pulled a thin file out of the duffel bag. "There was an overwhelming amount of circumstantial evidence to back your claims of the Trovare's treason once we looked into it a bit, so The Commission is more than willing to support you in this matter. The Trovare is a small family with less than five hundred total members, who originated from Sicily as far as we can tell, and immigrated to the states about twelve years ago. They're an information gathering family, so they don't have much in terms of strength or combat ability…under any other circumstances, this would be a fairly easy open-and-shut case. We could overpower them in the blink of an eye, ideally with minimal casualties."

"Under…any other circumstances?" Tsuna echoed, cutting his relief short. "So there's a complication?"

"Mm…" The consigliere nodded slowly, rubbing his chin with a pensive frown as he continued to flip through the file's contents. "What they lack in brute strength, they make up for in intelligence. Though their numbers are small, each and every member is one of the brightest men and women you'll meet in this field, and they're not renowned as an informant family without reason. They're the best of the best when it comes to espionage – setting up surveillance, wiretapping and planting bugs, shadowing and tailing…rumor is, not a single one of those five hundred members has ever been caught while spying. They have a good track record and provide good results, so a lot of families will protest against their, er…disbandment."

"So they might take sides?"

"Oh, it's not a matter of 'might'," He chuckled, lifting an eyebrow in amusement. Tsuna quickly bit down on his tongue as he realized he had just slipped up, allowing his naiveté to show. "They'll definitely take sides. That's just how these things go."

"Are you saying this could turn into some kind of…war?"

The consigliere laughed openly at that, "War? Like taking the fight out onto the streets of our good city? That would make for a thrilling little tidbit of history in future textbooks, but no. We're going to face a bit of opposition, but it's nothing we can't handle. You'd do well not to underestimate our families right off the bat, Vongola."

"I-I'm sorry," Tsuna apologized quickly, dipping his head as he realized he must have said something offensive. "It wasn't my intention to do so…a-at all. I just…I'm afraid I'm not quite getting your point."

"Well, that's probably because I haven't made it yet. The whole reason I was telling you about their proficiency for espionage was to illustrate just how good they are at what they do. They know how to stay hidden, how to cover their tracks, when to move and when to hunker down. There's only one thing they do better at than gathering information, and that's not being found if they don't want to be found."

"…" It took a moment for the words to sink in after their translation, but Tsuna soon found his jaw slowly dropping. "You mean…?"

"I'm afraid we didn't have your case filed as a very high priority, and I'll admit we probably could have been a bit more subtle with our investigation."

"You…you let them _find out_?"

Even Reborn, who wore an unimpressed scowl, had to speak up, "From the sound of it, these Trovare have eyes and ears everywhere, which you've been perfectly aware of. If anything, this was a case that should have been treated with more care than usual. Are you saying you did the exact opposite?"

Rapping his fingers against the tabletop for a few moments, the consigliere pursed his lips and heaved a large sigh, closing the file as he finally lifted his head to look at them.

"Not many people will follow my lead here, but yes. I admit, we made a mistake – a pretty unprofessional one, for which I apologize. We didn't think there was much merit to your claim, so we didn't put the requisite amount of time, effort, or caution into the matter."

It was easy to see that the apology was sincere, but the small hitman wasn't moved. Instead, a shadow fell over his face and his scowl only deepened.

"Do you think the Vongola would try to waste your time with claims based on _paranoia_?"

"We – no, _I – _didn't think at all. I was careless."

"Is that supposed to fix this?" Tsuna couldn't help flinching as Reborn's tone grew more severe, recognizing it from the numerous times he had been unforgivingly chastised by the tutor. "Now there's a family that poses a threat to not only our family, but yours as well, running loose with no reason to keep themselves in check anymore. If that's not bad enough, you let this happen while the Vongola Ninth's heir is visiting. You've put him, as well as his family, in danger. And you're speaking as though an apology is enough – you call yourself a Mafioso, much less a consigliere?"

"R-Reborn…" Tsuna cut in hesitantly, practically quaking in his boots. Even if Reborn was in a good mood, he had no way of knowing how the hitman would react to his interruption. "I don't think scolding him will get us anywhere."

"No, please let him continue, Tenth," Gokudera growled beside him. "This bastard's carelessness is inexcusable – I won't forgive anyone that puts the Tenth in harm's way."

"Even so," Tsuna replied, raising his voice slightly. "That doesn't change the situation, does it? What's happened has already happened, so shouldn't we be focusing on what to do from here instead of getting angry? A mistake is a mistake – they happen, so why don't we just let it go?"

"…_Tch!_" The bomber turned his head away stubbornly as he crossed his arms and sunk further down into the seat. "You're lucky the Tenth is so forgiving, I ought to shove a bomb down your…"

Reborn let out a similarly irritated sound as Gokudera descended into indecipherable mutterings.

"For once, you have a point, baka-Tsuna. I'm sure his family will give him a more suitable punishment than I can, under the circumstances."

"J-just…calm down, both of you," Tsuna murmured pleadingly, turning back to face the consigliere. To his credit, the man was maintaining an impressively calm expression despite all of the harsh words. "How recently did they go missing?"

"Just three days ago."

"So not much time has passed; that's good news, right?"

"We certainly aren't planning to give up or back down anytime soon. They've personally insulted The Commission as a whole with these cowardly tactics. I assure you, they won't be getting off easy."

"That's a relief. Do you have any leads?"

"Dozens. As we speak, there are men scouting possible locations where they may have set up a base. It isn't a matter of not knowing where to look in this situation, but a matter of narrowing down a huge list of possibilities that we want to keep from growing even larger. The moment we realized they had gone into hiding, we stationed people at every airport, train station, dock, and so on. It should be impossible for them to get out of the city through any mainstream means of transportation, and if they're on foot, we're certain to catch them. Five hundred members seems small compared to many other mafia families, but it's not a number that can be easy to conceal. They're bound to make a mistake sooner or later."

"I hope so," Softening, Tsuna offered a friendly smile. "It sounds like you're doing all you can to fix the mistake. Can I assume you won't let something like that happen again?"

"Of course."

"Good. Then that's settled, isn't it? You're working hard – since we are technically the reason for that, I can only assume it'd be fair for us to do the same. What can we do to help?"

"Ah, er…" From the way the man was stuttering, eyes growing wide, it was clear that he hadn't expected Tsuna to offer something like that. "Well…nothing. It's not that I don't appreciate it, but this is still under the Commission's jurisdiction. If you take any action yourself, it'll be viewed as infringing. You'd just cause trouble."

"How dare you," Gokudera snarled once more. "After getting yourselves into this mess, you've got the nerve to suggest-"

"Boy, you've got one hell of a temper. Please don't misunderstand; I'm not saying that I think you'd get in the way. It's just the way things work around here."

"_You_-!"

"Now now, Gokudera," Yamamoto interrupted quickly, speaking openly for the first time during the entire meeting. "It's fine isn't it? I think it makes sense."

"That's fair," Tsuna agreed with a light cough, trying to be subtle about the fact that he was completely ignoring the interruption. "We're on your turf, after all, so we'll follow your rules. I'll leave it in your hands." Suddenly feeling drained of energy, he propped his chin up against his knuckles. "Is that all, then?"

"It is." The consigliere confirmed, and Tsuna nodded, shifting so that he could stand.

"Good. Again, thank you for meeting us, since I'm sure you're busy. We'll be waiting for your call – I look forward to hearing what news you have for us."

"And I look forward to having news to give. I'll do my best to ensure that it's good." Matching Tsuna's movements, the consigliere stood and reached out for his hand. Assuming he was initiating a handshake, Tsuna was more than a little surprised when the man dipped his head and pressed his lips to the ring on his finger. His mind raced in circles for a bit before coming to the realization that it wasn't some sudden proclamation of love, but one of deep respect. "It's been an absolute honor to meet you, Vongola Tenth."

* * *

><p>"You were incredible, Tenth!"<p>

"I think I'm going to puke."

They were finally back at the hotel, and now that Jonathan had parted ways with them in the lobby, Tsuna no longer felt the need to maintain the guise of a strong, respectable mafia boss. Leaning against the wall of the elevator, he let out a long sigh as all of his nerves and the tension from the meeting caught up to him at once.

"I thought you did well," Yamamoto said with an encouraging grin. "You really were impressive!"

"Hmph," Reborn wore his signature smirk, a familiar gleam in his eye. "You held your own, Tsuna. Not bad. You'd better start getting yourself ready for the next time, though. I won't tolerate any mistakes after this."

"I'm going to puke," He repeated as his only response, wobbling out of the lift as it finally reached their floor. "I'm going to puke and then I'm going to take a very, very long nap."

"Don't say that, Tenth!" Gokudera cheered, sidling up beside him with a grin so bright it could blind someone. "You dealt with that incompetent fool amazingly well. I knew you could do it!"

"I was terrified," Tsuna muttered, pulling out his keycard as they reached his room. "I didn't think-"

He froze midsentence as he suddenly registered the fact that there were voices coming from inside. It seemed Gokudera had noticed it sooner, as he was already positioning himself between his boss and the door.

"Please let me, Tenth," He whispered, gently taking the keycard from Tsuna's fingers. "Stay behind me."

"Do you think it's the Trovare?" Yamamoto asked quietly, pulling the Shigure Kintoki from his back as he took up a position opposite Gokudera, the two of them flattening against the walls on either side of the door.

"I'm willing to bet," The bomber growled. "Damn bastards are probably trying to catch the Tenth with his guard down. I'll make them regret it – Tenth, please stay back."

"Eh…?" Tsuna's brow furrowed as he was pulled along, forced to flatten himself against the wall as well. "But you're using my key, so the door hasn't been tampered with-"

His reasoning fell on deaf ears as the bomber threw the door open and rushed inside, three sticks of dynamite in each hand as Yamamoto followed him in, sword held low but ready to strike at any minute.

"Okay, I'm serious, you need to _stop_ running off the edge of that cliff! I've already taught you how to jump three times now, it's not that difficult!"

"Extreme men don't jump over obstacles!"

"Unbelievable. A massive hole in the ground is not an obstacle, it's a _massive hole in the ground_. There's literally no getting around that fact."

Though he was sighing, Tsuna couldn't fight the smile that took hold of his face as he stepped in behind his friends, peeking over their shoulders at the scene inside. Ryohei and Yuri were in the living room, both seated on the floor just a few feet away from the large television, and they appeared to be playing a video game.

"Extreme men don't jump!" The boxer was adamantly repeating, fire in his eyes as he tried to launch his character across a wide gap with nothing but momentum.

"Okay, maybe this will get through to you," Yuri, on the other hand, wore a bored and mildly exasperated expression as she simply pressed the buttons on her controller at random, as she couldn't advance unless he came with her. "Extreme men do _extreme_ jumps."

"Oh! That makes much more sense!"

"…unbelievable." Gokudera and Yamamoto watched in stunned silence, apparently still trying to comprehend the fact that there weren't any hostile spies in the room, as Ryohei attempted to advance his character past the gap once more. "Whatever. That means you're going to jump, right? I'm actually following you this time…jump. Oi, Sasagawa, I said _jump_!"

Tsuna suppressed a small laugh as Ryohei waited a second too long to push the right button, forcing Yuri to try and backpedal despite the momentum they had both built up. With an odd little screech, she managed to leap off of his character's head only to fall just short of the other side, sending both of their pixelated personas falling to their death.

"_Unbelievable._" She repeated for the third time, untucking her legs from beneath her to kick wildly at the screen as large block letters flew out to spell a condemning **_GAME OVER_**.

"_That's _unbelievable?" Gokudera growled, finally coming to his senses, the sound of his voice making Yuri's head snap around toward them. "What about this? What are you doing in our room?"

"Oh, you're back?" She replied, ignoring his reprimands as she got to her feet, the frustration of the game already forgotten.

"Oi! Pay attention and answer my question!"

"Welcome back!" Ryohei greeted loudly, his jovial tone completely drowning out Gokudera's irritated one. "Did you have an extreme meeting?"

"We did, actually!" Yamamoto replied, already laughing good naturedly in response to the shift in mood.

"How did it go?" Yuri asked immediately. "Is the assignment done?"

"Not…not exactly." Making a point to shuffle towards the bedroom, as he hadn't been kidding about that nap, Tsuna's reply was broken by an uninvited yawn. "It took a bit of a different turn than we were expecting."

"But he was incredible!" Gokudera added quickly. "As expected of the Tenth, of course!"

"Of course," Yuri agreed, though she looked slightly confused. "I feel like I'm missing some exposition, though."

"Tsuna was great! I had no idea he could be so good with words…or quite so intimidating." Tsuna grumbled quietly as Yamamoto chose to elaborate.

"Oh? Am I just going to get an update, or a full-blown story? This sounds interesting."

"Just…come here," Tsuna waved her over from the bedroom, where he had already flopped back onto his bed. "I'll fill you in on the important stuff, but I'm not getting up."

"Oi!" Ryohei protested. "We haven't finished this level yet! This time I'll get the extreme jump for sure!"

Glancing between the remote in her hands and Tsuna, the girl let out a conflicted noise, torn between duty and obligation. After several seconds of watching her silent internal struggle, Gokudera stepped forward with an irritated sigh, presenting her with an open hand.

"Just give it here," He grumbled. "Can't you learn to say 'no' in the right context?"

"I'll leave it to you, then," Somehow, the fact that she handed the controller over without so much as a millisecond of hesitation made it worse. "Hang in there, and don't blow up your room. I'm not sharing mine with you."

"Can't you at least pretend to be grateful?"

"I owe you," She took a moment to clap her hands together and bow quickly before turning to join Tsuna. "I'll come rescue you as soon as I can."

"Like I need you to-! Ah, whatever, damn woman – just don't waste too much of the Tenth's time!" Yamamoto laughed, his hands loosely clasped behind his head as he followed after Yuri, making the bomber scowl. "Oi, where the hell do you think you're going?"

"We have to make sure someone tells her how it _really_ went," He flashed another wide grin, though it didn't even begin to touch his eyes. "You don't really think Tsuna will tell her the important parts, do you?"

"Wha-? But that should be _my_ job!"

"Oi, Octopus-head! If you don't hurry, I'll start without you and beat you to the extreme!"

Yamamoto continued to laugh as he joined his friends in the bedroom, easing the door shut behind him as Gokudera descended into incoherent grumbling and starting a yelling match with the boxer while lively music blasted from the television once more.

"I'd better make this quick if I want to keep the hotel in one piece," Tsuna muttered, pushing himself up into a seated position while Yuri perched on the corner of the bed opposite him.

"You work hard," Yuri murmured. "I won't keep you for long – you look exhausted. Just tell me what went wrong."

With a small groan, Tsuna launched into the explanation, recapitulating the events of that afternoon as accurately as he could. Every now and then, Yamamoto would jump in to illustrate with a quote and a nearly flawless impression of Tsuna, right down to his expression and tone of voice. Though Tsuna wanted to bury his face in a pillow as Yuri chuckled, he could tell that she was just as impressed as the others.

"You did well," She praised once they finished. "It's unfortunate that you have to deal with this in return."

"That's true…but I meant what I said," Tsuna replied with a small sigh. "I trust them to fix it. I'm actually glad we don't have to deal with the Trovare – they sound kind of scary."

"We won't be able to let our guard down…not exactly what I'd call a vacation. It'll be a bit stifling, but you should probably have at least one of us by your side at all times. I'm glad you're rooming with Hayato. He may be reckless, but he gets the job done."

"Y-yeah…" Leaning back on his elbows, Tsuna tilted his face to the ceiling and let out a low sound of distress. Suddenly his head snapped back up, his eyes wide. "Ah! That reminds me – what about the party?"

"Oh." Yuri frowned. "This does make that plan a bit more complicated."

"Party?" Yamamoto stared at them blankly.

"Yeah, a surprise party," Tsuna clarified. "Yuri told me Gokudera's birthdate during the flight. I felt kind of bad, since we've never celebrated his birthday before – I didn't know when it was, even after having known him for so long, and we just missed it again, so I thought we might try to throw him a party while we were here."

"That sounds fun!" The swordsman grinned. "I bet he'll appreciate it, especially if he knows it was your idea."

"It'll probably be impossible for me to get away from him for long enough to _do_ anything now that the Trovare are an issue, though," Tsuna mumbled. "I don't feel like I can take any credit if I don't help out."

"Don't worry, we'll help you! It can't be that hard make up an excuse; and besides, he's not the only person that can act as a guard. I'm sure we'll come up with something."

"Yeah…" Tsuna tried to mirror the optimistic smile, but all he could see were the shadows under his friend's eyes. "Um…by the way, I've been meaning to ask-"

"_Do it right, Turf-Top!_" Gokudera's angry voice suddenly blasted through the door, as though he somehow knew he was a topic of conversation.

"Your explanations are extremely confusing!" A certain boxer yelled back, easily surpassing him in volume.

"_Tsk_, forget it, this is useless! Find someone else to play with, you idiot."

"OI, SAWADA!"

"Y-you seriously-! Don't bother the Tenth with your nonsense!"

Tsuna flinched as the volume only continued to grow.

"I'd better do something about that," He muttered, sliding off the bed and opening up the door to break up the fight.

"They always keep things lively, don't they?" Yamamoto chuckled, getting ready to follow him out. Though it was clear Tsuna had been cut off midsentence, the swordsman was acting as though nothing had been said at all.

"Yamamoto," He froze mid-step, glancing over his shoulder curiously as Yuri stopped him. "…you're okay, right?"

"Hm?" He donned a confused, blank grin. "What do you mean?"

"Don't do that. Don't pretend you haven't been acting off all morning. I may have only just met you compared to how long those guys have known you for, but even I can tell something's bothering you." His grin grew awkward as she fixed him with a stern glare, a drop of sweat rolling down the back of his neck. Though he was perfectly aware of the fact that they had all seen right through him, he felt as though he'd just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "If you don't want to share, fine, but I need to know whether or not you're going to do something reckless. We're all concerned, but Boss…he worries. He _really_ worries. You can tell that, can't you?"

"…A-ah…" Rubbing the back of his neck, Yamamoto dropped his gaze to the ground, unable to stand looking her in the eye for a second longer. "I don't mean to…I mean…" Letting out a long breath, he dropped his hand and lifted his eyes to meet hers once more, an openly pained smile twisting his features. "Yes, I'm alright. I won't do anything rash – I'm really sorry to have made you worry, but you don't need to. I'll be fine."

"Then tell him that yourself," She replied in a clipped tone. "He, of all people, deserves a straight answer, don't you think?"

"Yeah," He agreed solemnly. "I do."

"Good." Apparently satisfied, she finally got up off of the bed and made her own way to the door. "Let's get out there, then – sounds like we've got a few tactical meetings of our own ahead of us."

"Yeah," As they stepped out to join the others, Yamamoto effortlessly slipped his cheery mask back on, adding his carefree laughter to the mixed cacophony of voices.

But even though he was with them physically, his mind was miles away, trying to decide whether or not he had just lied right to Yuri's face.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Wow, this one took longer to write than I thought it would. Even though I don't feel like a whole lot happened, it somehow still ended up being fairly lengthy! In any case, I hope I didn't keep you all waiting for too long! I let myself take a significant break over the holidays, and I hope you guys did the same! I'm looking forward to dedicating a good chunk of 2015 to this story, and I really hope you guys will come along for the ride :) As always, thank you so much for taking the time to read this little fic of mine, and for taking the time to leave such kind and encouraging reviews! You have no idea just how much it makes my day when I get the chance to read your thoughts and opinions of my work. Thanks for sticking with me this far, guys, and happy new year!


	14. Cold

"It's a relief that the meeting's out of the way," Tsuna held a tangerine out as his nails pierced the thin rind, successfully avoiding the small spray of juice it ejected in protest. "But I didn't really think about what that meant for us. We can't leave until this whole mess with the Trovare is settled, can we?"

They were currently gathered out on the balcony of his and Gokudera's room, enjoying the sunshine. With the string of chilly, overcast days that had accompanied them since their arrival, the sudden bout of clear weather felt too valuable to ignore. It was difficult to properly appreciate it from the confines of the small deck, though.

"I'm extremely bored," Ryohei complained, laying his cheek against the warm metal railing that separated their cozy little balcony from the several hundred feet of open air that hung between them and the ground. Unfazed by it, the boxer had his legs dangling through the gaps between the metal, staring down the height as though it were merely a five foot drop.

"It probably would be a little rude to ask Jonathan to take us out every day," Yamamoto mused, limbs sprawling as he slid down in his chair. "Especially if we don't know how long we'll be here for. But I don't exactly want to stay cooped up in our rooms either."

"Is that _all_ you're worried about?" Gokudera snapped. "As long as we stay here while the Trovare are still a threat, the Tenth is in danger! We should be strategizing, putting together a plan of attack for every worst-case-scenario we can think of, not moaning about how bored we are! Do you think this is any time to let our guards down?"

"You're right," The bomber beamed as Reborn voiced his agreement. "But there's a difference between being prepared and being paranoid. It's good to get a plan together, and it should go without saying that all of you should keep your guards up…but for now, that's all you can do. It won't do you any good to get obsessive – you'll just be losing sleep over nothing."

"In other words, hope for the best but prepare for the worst?" Yuri cocked an eyebrow thoughtfully, raking her fingers through a bag of trail mix in search of anything with sugar content higher than that of a peanut. "Well, I guess that really is all we can do for the moment."

"It's one thing to say that…" Tsuna sighed. While the words made sense, it wasn't exactly easy to just sit back and relax when he felt like someone could attack them at any minute. It was probably just in his head, but he could swear he felt a foreign pair of eyes on him, watching from a distance.

"Don't get yourself riled up when nothing's happened yet," Yuri was clearly trying to be reassuring, but she had a naturally grave tone to her voice that made the advice sound anything but. "If the Trovare make a move, we'll deal with it accordingly. For now, we can rely on safety in numbers. There are six of us, so it should be easy to pair off into groups of two or three if we _do_ need to separate for any reason."

"That's right," Yamamoto's voice was bright and encouraging, in stark contrast to Yuri's solemnity. Sometimes, all he had to do was crack a smile, and it somehow felt as though everything was alright. "We'll just cross that bridge when we come to it. Besides, how bad could they be compared to the Millefiore?"

"Huh? Thousand flowers…?" Yuri had an expression of pure confusion plastered across her face, murmuring the name's literal translation.

"Yeah, Byakuran's family. You know, back when he was…or, well, wait…I guess I should say when he _will_ be…? But no, that shouldn't be…" Gokudera literally dropped his face into his palm at Yamamoto's poor attempt to explain.

"It's a long story," It was clear that he didn't plan to elaborate beyond that as he clasped his hands together and leaned forward, nothing but business. "The point is, we need to be prepared, right? Let's make a plan – first of all, I'll be by the Tenth's side at all times."

"You say that as though it were ever a question," Yuri quipped, a bored expression on her face as she pushed the trail mix back into the center of the table, a small hoard of chocolate and dried fruit cupped in her palm.

"Be quiet! Oi, and don't just take all the chocolate for yourself!"

"…but-"

"Put some of it back! You were always too greedy when it came to sweets."

"I didn't take it _all_."

"Ninety-nine percent of that bag consists of nuts."

"That's still one percent of…not nuts."

"Put it _back_, we don't have time for childish arguments!"

"Then don't start them," Her reply was huffy, but she leaned forward reluctantly to dump her treasure back into the bag.

"You're hopeless," Gokudera forced out a growling sigh, picking some of the chocolate out and tossing it back to her. "I didn't tell you to put all of it back, so quit sulking."

"Are you treating me like a kid?" Her lips jutted out into a small pout.

"If you've got a problem with it, don't act like one," Save for an irritated twitch of his eye, he did an impressive job of ignoring the obnoxiously loud raspberry she blew. "_Back on topic_. Aside from me, we should set the rest of you up on a rotating schedule to act as the Tenth's bodyguards, centered around a three by five-"

"Question," Yuri interrupted, her hand lifted into the air like an obedient student.

"Denied."

"Aw."

"But we're already going to be together most of the time," Yamamoto interrupted. "What's the point of setting up a schedule?"

"That was my question," Yuri added quickly, piggybacking on the break in conversation.

"Will you two idiots let me talk?!"

Just as the bomber finally lost his temper, his fists greeting the table top roughly, the shrill sound of a ringing phone pierced the air, stealing everyone's attention.

"Is that the room phone?" Tsuna asked, blinking in surprise.

"Do you see any other phones around?" Reborn replied with an annoyed tone.

"R-right…um, I guess I'll go…get that, then." Hesitation made his movements jerky as Tsuna pushed his chair out and wandered back inside, approaching the phone with a mixture of trepidation and confusion. The receiver made a small _click_ as he lifted it out of the cradle and pressed it to his ear. Nothing but faint static. "H…hello?"

"Good afternoon, Vongola Tenth?" The voice was male, crisp and professional. The tension in Tsuna's shoulders and neck slowly dissipated as he realized the call had to be coming from the front desk.

"Yes?"

"You have a guest waiting for you in the main lobby." Just as quickly as it had disappeared, the tension returned.

"A…a guest?"

"Yes. We can't allow anyone who isn't a hotel patron to loiter around here for too long, so please come retrieve them quickly, if you can. Otherwise, we can turn them away."

"N…no, um…I'll be right there."

"Apologies for the inconvenience – we'll plan to see you in a moment, then."

"Okay…ah, w-wait!" It was too late, and the man had already hung up. "…who is it…?" Tsuna murmured to no one in particular.

"Who was it?" Reborn practically read his mind as he rejoined them out on the balcony.

"The lobby. Apparently I have a guest."

"Guest?" Gokudera repeated, his eyebrows drawing together, resting low over his eyes. "Who?"

"He didn't say," Grabbing a coat, Tsuna gave him a small helpless shrug.

"Could it be a trap?"

"Only one way to find out," Yuri pushed her chair out with a loud scrape of metal on tile, her frown identical to Gokudera's. "We'll go with you."

"I probably shouldn't get excited about this," Yamamoto grinned sheepishly as he and Ryohei leapt to their feet as well. "But we _were_ just talking about how bored we've been feeling."

"We've been sitting around for too long," The boxer agreed, throwing a few jabs with his right fist. "A fight would be an extremely good way to get our blood flowing again!"

"I really hope that's not what this is about," Tsuna moaned, wearing an expression of blatant apprehension.

Slipping on their coats and shoes, they locked up the room and made their way to the elevator. Though they had only been there for a few days, they were already moving through the halls naturally, as though they had lived there for years.

When the doors slid open, Tsuna let out a small "Ah!" as his eyes immediately picked out a familiar figure by the entrance. Her hair was pulled back into a stubby little ponytail and her clothing was devoid of any wild prints or patterns, but Miyuki still managed to stand out in the crowd – partly because she was the only one staring at the inside of the building in slack-jawed awe.

"Miyu?" Tsuna and Yamamoto spoke at the same time as they stepped into the lobby, drawing her wide eyes down from the intricate designs on the ceiling to meet their own.

"_This_ is where you're staying?" She demanded without offering so much as a greeting. "I was sure you had given me the wrong address! This isn't a hotel, this is a palace!"

"S-sorry?" Yamamoto offered hesitantly. "But what are you doing here?"

"Ahh, sorry," She apologized quickly, pulling a phone out of the heavy gym bag slung over her shoulder. "I'm running a bit late. I probably should have called ahead, but this was kind of an impulsive decision I made literally ten minutes ago – are you guys free right now? There's somewhere I'd like to take you."

"Um…" Tsuna was surprised to see Yamamoto turning to him with a hopeful look in his eyes, like he was asking him for permission. "Tsuna?"

"Well, we _were_ just talking about how we don't have anything to do today, right?" He replied timidly, uncomfortable with the concept of being the one to call the shots. "If the others are up for it, I don't see why not?"

"If the Tenth wants to, then I'm fine with it," Gokudera replied gruffly, while Yuri just offered a small shrug and a nod. Ryohei didn't even need to voice his opinion; his expression alone did all of the talking.

"What about you, Reborn?" Tsuna asked, glancing over to the hitman on his shoulder.

"Oh?" Miyu blinked, leaning over to get a clearer view of the baby. "Here's a new face!"

"Oh, that's right," Tsuna had completely forgotten that the two hadn't met yet. Even after all this time, though, he still had absolutely no idea how to go about introducing the Arcobaleno. "T-this is Reborn, my, uh…"

"Ciaossu." He greeted easily. "I'm this No-Good kid's tutor."

"Tutor, huh?" Miyu looked amused, oblivious to the red creeping into Tsuna's cheeks. "Is that why you're wearing a suit?"

"That's what any respectable Mafioso wears. It's a hitman's uniform."

_He never changes!_ Tsuna was screaming inside his head, frantically trying to think of a way to discredit Reborn's words, but Miyu just giggled.

"I see – your life must be exciting, then!"

"It's been a bit slow recently."

"Well, if you all come with me, it should be fun for at least a little bit. Would you like to join us?"

"Who else would keep an eye on this troublemaker?" Tsuna heaved a long, suffering sigh at Reborn's taunting smirk. "So I guess it's unanimous. We'll keep you company today."

"Lucky!" Miyu grinned. "Do you need to grab anything from your rooms?"

"Mm…I don't think so," Yamamoto replied after they had all checked their pockets and glanced around, trying to think of anything they might need.

"Oh good," She breathed a small sigh of relief. "Because I'm really going to be late at this rate, so we need to get going."

"Where is it that we're going, exactly?" Yamamoto finally asked what everyone was thinking as they followed her out into the afternoon sun, its warm rays caressing their faces.

"Guess!"

"…It's a secret, isn't it?"

"Mm-hmm," She hummed happily, a tiny skip in her step as she weaved between strangers wrestling for room on the sidewalk. "But it won't be for long, and if you were to guess correctly, well, who would I be to keep you from knowing?"

"You kind of look like you're getting ready to go to the gym?" Tsuna ventured. Her shoes were definitely athletic, and the gym bag was another dead giveaway.

"Looking like this?" She scoffed. "Wearing these baggy old sweats, I'm like a frumpy old lady; no way! You've got to look good when you hit up the gym."

"Why?" Yuri asked, incredulous. "You'd be getting all sweaty and gross anyways, wouldn't you? Who's there to impress?"

"You know, that 'practicality-above-all-else' attitude you've got is really starting to grow on me," Taking a sharp turn, Miyu grinned over her shoulder. "It's hard not to care how others see you, but it's smart."

"…It's not like I _don't_ care…" Yuri grumbled, pushing her fists into the kangaroo pocket of her hoodie. "I just couldn't care less about people that I don't know."

"Right, right, an important distinction to be made," Miyu shot Yamamoto an exaggeratedly dubious smile that forced him to stifle a laugh. "By the way, you weren't lying the other day when you said you could match any pace I'd set, were you? I'll admit, I'm impressed you're all managing to keep up without so much as breaking a sweat."

"I told you, didn't I?" He laughed in response, lifting his arms behind his head with a smug air about him.

"Don't underestimate us, you grinning idiot," Gokudera growled indignantly. "This is nothing for the Tenth."

"Actually, I hadn't even noticed until just now," Tsuna commented, more to himself than anything, watching the ground race by beneath him as she had them cut through a parking lot. "But this isn't exactly a light stroll. We may as well be running at this point."

Beside him, Ryohei was letting out a satisfied yell, "This is extremely refreshing! You set the pace well, Nomiya! You'll have to join Aizawa and I on our next run!" The statement prompted a startled cough out of Yuri, whose lungs were already aching at the mere thought of it.

"Let's not get carried away," She almost sounded pleading. "I'm sure she's got better things to do."

"Not at all, that sounds great!" Miyu chirped ignorantly, completely unaware of Yuri's intense glare trained on her back. "Anyways, thanks to your stamina, it looks like I'm actually going to make it in on time! I'm glad you all brought coats," She slowed drastically as they apparently reached their destination, greeted by a pair of wide glass doors. "It can get a bit chilly in here."

Sure enough, as she pulled the door open, a wave of cool air blasted out, rolling over them and nipping at their noses like a dog greeting its owner. Confusion remained firmly in place on their faces as she led them through a wide lobby, greeting the receptionist behind the counter with a bright smile as they passed by. It wasn't until she pushed the second set of doors open that the realization dawned on all of them at once.

"You're a skater…" Yamamoto breathed, remembering what she had told him at lunch the other day. A massive rink stretched out before them, holding a smooth sheet of ice that multiple figures glided across, dancing on flashing blades of silver.

"I have extended practice sessions after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays, since I don't have to worry about ballet lessons on those days," She explained, leading them behind a row of stone bleachers towards a door nestled into the nook. "I was feeling kind of badly about how things went on the rink at Rockefeller Center, and it struck me while I was dropping my schoolbag off at home that I could just take you all here with me."

"Is that alright?" Tsuna wondered as she pushed the door open, leading them into a small locker room. "Shouldn't we pay, or get some passes or something?"

"It'll be fine," She waved his concerns aside, setting her bag down on the bench underneath a wooden cubby where a coat was already hanging. The logo on the back looked like it matched the one they had seen plastered across the wall when coming in. "I pay my dues here, so I can spend my time in the rink however I want. On Tuesdays I usually just do two freestyles after school and head to the gym for off-ice training, but I figured I could push the gym trip back to Thursday this week and snag a third freestyle slot to bring you guys on for a bit of fun."

"F…freestyle?" Tsuna blinked as several familiar words sailed right over his head in unfamiliar context.

"Just some figure skating lingo," She laughed apologetically as she began pulling off layers of clothing, slipping out of a baggy sweatshirt and shimmying out of her sweatpants. Tsuna's eyebrows rose as he realized she somehow had more layers on, wearing a tank top and black formfitting pants underneath. He couldn't imagine how she had been running in all of that. "Freestyles are just forty-five minute sessions where we practice jumps and spins on an open rink – it's harder to do that when you have to share the rink with the public, you know? More likely to accidentally slice someone's face open if you don't pay attention."

"A…ah…" Gulping, Tsuna shared an uncomfortable glance with the others, trying hard to push the gruesome imagery out of his mind as she pulled on the club jacket that had already been hanging in the cubby.

"So basically," She continued, immune to their discomfort as she lifted her bag back onto her shoulder and ushered them towards the door. "If you're all willing to sit through my boring practice, I can give you about an hour on an empty rink. Trust me, it's a lot more fun when you aren't bumping into dozens of other people every time you try to move an inch."

"Well, we can probably handle that," Yuri mused as they stepped back out. "I can't imagine it can go any worse than last time, and it's not like we weren't just sitting around back at the hotel anyways."

"It'll be interesting to get a glimpse into a figure skater's life, too," Yamamoto added, nudging Miyu playfully with his elbow. "You don't usually get to see what kind of work goes into those performances."

"It's not all glitz and glamor," She shot him a wry smile, dumping her bag on the bleachers and gesturing for them to take a seat. "If you're really aiming to get somewhere in this field, you've got to be strict. Like, counting calories and getting up before the sun rises strict."

"Are you?" Tsuna asked, leaning forward curiously as she sat on the ground with her legs in a V and leaned forward, stretching out her spine. "Aiming to get somewhere?"

Pulling her legs in so that the soles of her shoes were touching, she twisted her body around to look at them, lips pursed, "Honestly? I'm not sure yet." Rolling onto her stomach, she reached back to grab her foot, stretching so that the toe of her shoe came in contact with the top of her head. "Don't get me wrong, I really love skating," She grunted out as she switched sides, before getting onto her knees and leaning straight back. "I just don't know if I want to dedicate my whole life to it."

They were listening to her talk, but the slightly freakish displays of flexibility had them all just a bit…distracted. Curious if it was just the gender difference, Tsuna glanced over at Yuri and was surprised to find her looking more disbelieving than the rest of them combined, eyes narrowed and one eyebrow permanently fixed above the other as her jaw hung open. Catching his gaze, she leaned over to whisper conspiratorially, "I can barely touch my toes."

The note of resentment in her voice made it hard for him to keep from laughing.

They watched Miyu stretch for a while longer, making sounds of general astonishment whenever she lifted her leg farther than they thought possible, or sounds of distinct alarm whenever she bent back just a bit too far for their tastes. Yamamoto was the only one that simply wore a knowing little smile.

"She's been doing stuff like this since she was three or four, I think," He explained as a group of older girls came off of the ice, walking over to greet Miyu. It was easy to tell that she was explaining the small group of teenagers whispering in Japanese from how she was gesturing at them over her shoulder, but they couldn't understand a word that was being said otherwise. The girls did giggle and wave, though, which was easy enough to understand, before leaving Miyu to continue warming up. "I'm pretty sure she's been doing ballet her whole life, so I'm used to seeing her twist herself up like a pretzel."

As she lifted her leg up onto the railing of the rink, the resemblance grew clearer, her stretches and movements clearly those of a ballet dancer at the barre. Even with no specific knowledge of such arts, they could all clearly see it: she was a dancer at heart.

"Okay, I know I said to watch," She covered her face with an embarrassed giggle as she glanced over her shoulder to see what they were whispering about, dropping her leg back into a normal position. "But don't stare quite so hard! I can feel you guys burning holes into the back of my head!"

"Sorry," Tsuna apologized quickly. "It's just…really impressive."

"This is?" She looked genuinely astonished. "I'd suggest you check out the kids on the ice, that's way more interesting than this. I'm just warming up while they finish their class."

Dutifully aiming their eyes in the direction she was pointing, they glanced out at a row of young children clumsily practicing small, easy spins.

"Huh," Yuri dropped her cheek into an open palm. "Cute."

"Do you like kids?" Tsuna asked, surprised by her reaction. Her cheeks grew a light shade of pink as she lifted her shoulders slightly, lips twisting into an unreadable expression.

"I've never really had the chance to spend time with any," She murmured. "But I like to watch. They're…innocent. Always happy. It's a nice change of pace for someone like me."

"Y…Yuri-" Whatever he had been about to say, it was cut off by a startled squawk as Miyu suddenly landed heavily beside him, just a bit too close to his fingers for comfort. "Did you just _jump_ up here?" He squeaked. "From the floor?"

Bending her knees once more, she just gave him a small affirmative grunt as she threw her arms back and leapt over several more seats before turning around and running back down them, preparing to do it once more.

"Watch where you land!" Gokudera protested loudly in Tsuna's place.

"Sorry, did I startle you?" She asked, only panting slightly. "Well, I guess I did tell you not to pay attention to me. I'll be more careful," Despite saying that, Gokudera had to dive sideways to avoid getting kicked in the head as she sailed over the seats again.

"You've always been quite the little monkey!" Yamamoto leaned back with a laugh, lying across the bench with his arms as a pillow, not even flinching as she landed beside his head.

"Somehow, I feel like that title suits you better," She loomed over him with an impish grin, planting her hands on her waist.

"What? No way!"

"Way!" She countered, sticking her tongue out childishly as she made her way back down to the floor, bending over to reach into her bag. When she pulled out a jump rope, Ryohei suddenly snapped to attention.

"Oh!" He grinned excitedly, pointing right at her. "An extreme tool for any workout!"

"You got that right," Her teeth flashed deviously as she held the rope up. "Wanna have a go? We've got spares in the back." She didn't even have to wait for his response, darting back into the locker room as he leapt to his feet and rushed down to join her. "Think you can keep up with me?" She asked challengingly as she re-emerged, tossing the extra rope to him.

"Extreme sportsmanship," His grin matched hers as a competitive flame blazed to life in his eyes. "What are the rules?"

"Just follow my lead! If you mess up or have to stop before I'm done, you lose, if you keep up with me, you win!"

"I won't lose easily!"

"I'm counting on it," Grasping the handles, she threw the rope into the air and began to skip quickly and evenly. Without missing a beat, Ryohei easily matched the pace beside her. Compared to his usual…well, _extremeness_, Tsuna was surprised to find the boxer actually looked graceful, especially as they began to speed up to the point where he could hear the ropes better than he could see them as they tore through the air. "Can you go backwards?"

"Of course!" Without even the slightest pause, he easily turned the rope's rotation around, followed closely by Miyu, who stumbled slightly on the transition.

"I'm impressed," She puffed after a minute or so, her breaths starting to come out in short, powerful bursts. "You're good – Yamamoto said you were a boxer?"

"That's right!"

"I'm guessing you know what's next, then?"

Perfectly in sync, the two of them began to alternate between normal jumps and jumps with their forearms crossed, before settling into a much slower pace where they dropped into low squats every other time their feet cleared the rope.

"Ever the show-off," Yamamoto remarked, pushing himself back into an upright position. "Didn't I read somewhere that monkeys are good jumpers?"

"Oh, be quiet, no they aren't," Miyu struggled to laugh as she and Ryohei picked the pace back up, beginning to jump higher, bringing their ropes around for two full rotations every time.

"I'm pretty sure they are!" Yamamoto called out, keeping up the banter. "How else do they get from tree to tree so easily?"

"Th…they swing!" Miyu puffed out, her grin never faltering for a second. "You know…on ropes or vines or something!"

"And what do you call what _you're_ doing right now?"

"Sh-shut up!" She let out a slight wheeze as she struggled not to giggle, barely recovering as the rope caught on her foot briefly. "You're doing this on purpose, aren't you? Trying to help him win?"

"Can't blame me for being a good underclassman!"

"That's bad sportsmanship, Yamamoto!" Ryohei joined in with a scolding. "I win my own competitions fair and square!"

"Yeah, that's right!" Miyu taunted, sticking her tongue out for a split second before thinking better of it. "You're a bad friend!"

"Aw, come on…!"

Watching the spectacle from a safe distance, the corners of Yuri's mouth curled towards the ground as the repartee carried on.

"They get along well, don't they? Bantering like they've known each other for years when they've only just reunited."

"I guess it's because they knew each other as kids?" Tsuna ventured, nodding in agreement.

"Childhood friends?" Yuri hummed thoughtfully, leaning forward to hover over Gokudera, who was sitting in front of them. "Wouldn't that mean we should be the same, then?"

"Hah?" Tilting his head back to return her gaze, his eyebrows pulled together and formed an irritated little crease. "Don't be stupid," Reaching up, he flicked her lightly on the forehead. Ignoring her small protest, he lowered his face again. "It's just their personalities."

Rubbing at her forehead, Yuri leaned back with a strangely satisfied look on her face, "Hm…yeah. I guess so."

"…" Watching with a raised eyebrow, Tsuna turned away with a small sigh, resting his chin on his knuckles.

"'_They get along well too,'_" Yelping as a sharp pain suddenly pierced through his ear, Tsuna found himself being forced to join Reborn at the baby's level. "_'In their own weird way,'_ is what you're thinking. Right?"

"Ow, ow, ow, that hurts, ow, let go, let go!"

"Tch," The hitman had a way of sounding disappointed without even saying a word, but at least he did let go.

"Well…" Sitting back up, Tsuna cupped his stinging ear with both hands. "Yeah. I mean…they don't exactly get along _well_, like those two down there, but they do get along. In…in their own 'weird way'."

"Different experiences forge different bonds. Certain personality types just match others better. A lot of the times, opposites attract, but that doesn't necessarily mean that parallels repel."

"Don't spout stuff like that as if you're imparting some kind of sage wisdom. I was just thinking it looks nice…to have someone like that, who knows you really well, both the good and the bad, and still thinks you're worth spending time with." Before he could even blink, Tsuna suddenly found himself being yanked down by the ear yet again. "_Ack!_"

"You're sounding pathetic, Tsuna," The legitimately angry tone in Reborn's voice was enough to halt Tsuna's protests. "Do you think this family you've gathered doesn't know you? Doesn't know your good and bad sides? They've seen everything that makes you No-Good Tsuna, yet they still trust you and follow you – what do you call that?"

"Alright, alright, you've made your point!" Tsuna's eyes squeezed together as his ear was finally released for the second time, wincing as he sprung upright again. "I get it. I've got nothing to mope about." Turning his attention back down to the jump-roping duo as their competition finally came to an end, he watched Miyu turn with a flushed smile and lift a hand into the air, celebrating with an emphatic high five. "Yeah…" He murmured, chuckling as Miyu clutched her wrist the moment Ryohei turned away, quietly mouthing a big '_OW_' as she stared at her reddening palm. "Things are good right now."

"Don't let me catch you forgetting again," Reborn murmured threateningly. "You've gotten too used to wallowing in self-pity, you can't even see when you've got a good thing right in front of you. I'll have to beat that habit out of you." His gaze lacked amusement as he watched his student scramble away with a frightened cry, but his lips curled into a familiar smile. "…That can wait until later, though."

At the other end of the bleachers, Tsuna gripped the railing as he peeked over the edge, calling down to where Miyu had migrated in the hopes of discouraging whatever abuse Reborn had in store for him next, "What are you working on now?"

"Hm?" She glanced up, lowering her arms slightly from the pose he had just caught her in as the others joined him in poking their heads over. "Just some off-ice warm ups. I've got a competition coming up, so I need to start dedicating any extra time I've got to my program." Lifting her arms back into position, she stretched her left leg out behind her, maintaining an impressive level of balance and stability. Turning, she took several graceful steps forward before launching into a low jump, then another. "I got a little carried away and threw a triple axel into the routine, thinking I would have nailed it by now."

"Is it hard?"

She took a deep breath, stepping in place as she rolled her neck and shook out her fingers.

"Hard…" She muttered, not exactly answering the question. As a look of pure determination settled into her eyes, she took two long strides across the floor, bent her knees, and leapt into a spectacularly high jump. Tucking her limbs, she spun through the air like a top before landing roughly on her left leg, having to hop backwards several times to keep from toppling over.

"_Wow_," Almost all of them exclaimed in unison, even Gokudera.

"Now that's something I never saw you do in ballet," Yamamoto was grinning from ear to ear as he hopped down to approach her. "Miyu, that was great!"

"Was that it?" Tsuna asked, his eyes bugging out of his skull. "The triple thing?"

"Heh…" She chuckled humorlessly, reaching down to grab her foot and roll her ankle around. "It was barely even a double."

"You're kidding," The doubt in his voice was poorly concealed, but she just gave him a little grimace, gaze still fixed on her foot. When she did lift her eyes, though, her expression brightened.

"The kids' class is finishing up," She smiled as the children that had previously been practicing their spins began to file off the ice. "I need to get ready."

Walking back to the bench with a slight skip, she began rummaging around in her bag once more, pulling out a battered looking pair of ice skates. There was clearly a time where they had once been a pristine white, but the surface of the boot had been scuffed too many times to count, the laces a dirty gray, and the seams starting to fray. Despite their ragged appearance, she held them like a pair of precious jewels, fingers working quickly but delicately as she slipped them onto her feet and began lacing them up.

Once she finished tightening the knots and tucking the excess laces into her boots, she stood and walked over to the rink's entrance, standing to the side so the children could step off of the ice. Tsuna blinked in surprise as her name came spilling from their lips gleefully, small fingers reaching up for high fives. Grinning, she dropped into a crouch, speaking excitedly in English as she patted each of them on the back and sent them on to find their parents.

"They know you?" Tsuna asked once the last little girl skipped past him, balancing precariously on the blades of her skates.

"Most of them, yeah," Miyu replied, still beaming as she lifted one leg to pry the plastic guard off of her skate. "I work as a teacher's assistant for the kids' classes on the weekends."

"You're…really dedicated, aren't you?" His eyebrows rose, prompting a small laugh out of her.

"Of course, but I didn't really have too much of a choice. I wouldn't be able to skate otherwise." She laughed again as he tilted his head to the side, giving her a confused look. "I, uh…I can't afford it. Private lessons are pretty expensive." The topic clearly made her uncomfortable, her fingers working at the back of her neck as her eyes darted to the ground. "I just pestered them until they agreed to let me trade work for lessons. I teach on the weekends, run errands, help maintain the rink and clean the building…it's unglamorous, but I think it's worth it."

"That's really impressive," Tsuna murmured. He couldn't think of any kind of hobby that he had ever been so serious about. Ironically, the only thing he had ever taken seriously was the mafia.

"Not at all!" She laughed awkwardly, waving her hand dismissively as she stepped onto the ice and pivoted around to yank off her other skate guard. "I started later than most other figure skaters, so I just have to put in the extra work if I want to have any hope of catching up, that's all!"

"Somehow, I don't quite believe you…" Tsuna muttered, rejoining the others on the bleachers as she turned with a small wave and made her way to the center of the rink.

"I'm kind of amazed, actually," Yamamoto said, scooting over so Tsuna could sit beside him. "I didn't think she was capable of something like that."

"The skating?"

"No, no – she's always been one of those people who are just…good at things. They barely even have to try before they get the hang of something new, you know?"

_Like you? _Tsuna couldn't help thinking, amused by how unaware Yamamoto seemed to be of the fact.

"No matter what she did, people always said she was gifted, a natural."

"That sounds nice," Tsuna sighed. "It's like the exact opposite of me."

"I hate people like that," Gokudera glowered from Yamamoto's other side, watching Miyu through narrowed eyes as she glided around the ring with her coach, performing simple leaps. "Anyone who coasts through life on talent alone is a fluke, getting success they don't deserve."

"I don't quite see it that way," Yamamoto chuckled as Gokudera glared daggers at him. "She was never happy. She just did whatever people told her to, and never really thought about what she wanted, I don't think. Everything was boring, because there wasn't any challenge to it."

"Why are you saying that like it's a bad thing? It's better if you can master things more quickly! It's efficient!"

"Think about it, though! The best part of learning new things is the challenge – the fact that you put so much effort into it and it finally paid off, that's why it means something in the end, isn't it?"

"That makes sense," Tsuna concurred thoughtfully.

"That's why I'm surprised. She never took much of anything seriously when we were kids, she mostly just fooled around. _All_ the time, even…even I got sick of it now and then. I've never seen her make a face like _that_." Tsuna glanced up as she glided by on one leg, lips slightly parted and her brow furrowed deeply in concentration. "She's so focused. It's really weird."

"It's good," Ryohei added. "Everyone needs something to be extremely passionate about."

"Mmn…" The swordsman hummed in agreement, but he didn't sound completely convinced. As a lull settled over their conversation, they turned their full attention to the figures on the ice. Miyu wasn't the only occupant, but the rink had emptied out significantly compared to when they had first arrived, allowing her to… "Wait, is she dancing?"

Sure enough, her movements had shifted from repetitive jumps and spins to something more fluid. Rather than confining herself to a corner, she had begun to utilize the entire rink, and as she skated past them once more, they could just barely see the earbuds tucked into her ears. The brilliant smile she wore, on the other hand, was hard to miss as she practically floated across the cold surface, her arms spread like wings.

Once the routine ended, she dove right back into it without stopping for even a minute to catch her breath, and continued to do so over and over again until Tsuna felt as though even _he_ knew her routine by heart. Just as his eyelids were beginning to droop, he caught a flash of movement from the corner of his eye that prompted him to glance over to his right. He hardly expected to make eye contact with that simple action, nearly jumping a foot into the air.

The icy eyes staring back at him belonged to a boy who couldn't have been more than a year or two older than himself, dark blond hair pulled straight back and held in place with copious amounts of gel and hairspray. It was his intense glare that caught Tsuna's attention, though, impelling him to quickly whip his head the other way.

"Hey," He whispered, jabbing Yamamoto lightly in the ribs. "I-is the boy over there looking at us strangely?"

"Hm?" Without using any discretion, the swordsman stretched his neck to look straight at the boy. "Yeah. Why?"

"I don't know!" Tsuna hissed, yanking hard on his friend's sleeve in an effort to make him to stop staring. "I just looked over for a second and he was staring right at us!"

"Maybe his face is just stuck like that, and he doesn't know?"

"I don't think anyone can wear an expression with that much malice and _not_ know."

"Wow, Gokudera, that's a really good impression!" Tsuna let out a small, panicked sound as he realized the bomber had noticed the newcomer as well, and was scowling right back at him with just as much derision.

"G-Go-Gokudera! What are you doing, don't _provoke_ him!"

"He pisses me off," The bomber snarled. "Looking at the Tenth like that, who does he think he is?" As he moved to stand, his hand undoubtedly reaching for a stick of dynamite that he had tucked away, Yuri's arm looped under his and locked around his left shoulder as Yamamoto pressed down on his right, forcing him back into his seat.

"Who are we starting a fight with?" Yuri asked, while Ryohei peeked past her with an excited glint in his eyes.

"Fight?" He repeated, like a pet waiting for a treat.

"Nobody, we're not fighting anyone!" Tsuna waved his hands, desperately trying to defuse the situation.

"What a pitiful boss," Reborn joined in, leaping onto his student's shoulder. "If someone shows disrespect, you need to pound fear into them until they can't remember why they even thought to cross you in the first place."

"Exactly!" Gokudera agreed emphatically, making another thwarted attempt to confront the stranger.

"No! No, no, no, we're not doing any of that!"

"Tenth, he needs to learn his place!"

"He is a _stranger_ that _looked_ at us!" Tsuna hissed. "Besides, we don't have any power in the States, right? Picking a fight would just be assault, not some twisted show of dominance!"

Unable to form an adequate argument, the bomber simply opted to continue his scowling match, but the blond had already lost interest in them. Feet already clad in skates, he was preparing to step onto the ice, eyes wide with shock as Miyu barreled towards him.

"What is she…? Is everyone here crazy?" Tsuna mumbled, watching in horror as the girl continued to pour on the speed, showing no signs of slowing down. Just as she was about to slam into the boy, she planted her hands on his shoulders and he took a step back, grabbing hold of her waist and lifting her over his head. For a split second, Tsuna feared that he actually planned to _throw_ her – but she remained suspended, stretching her limbs out and arching her back.

Her grin turned sheepish as an angry shout sounded from the other side of the rink, her coach skating towards them, his face redder than a tomato. Scowling, the blond boy set her down roughly but safely, bopping her on the head just a bit harder than seemed necessary. Ignoring it, she turned to face the coach's scolding, rubbing the back of her head as his voice continued to rise. Finally, he gestured at her bag and moved back out into the center of the rink.

"Miyu, _what_?" Tsuna spoke up immediately as she glided up to them, rubbing his temples in an attempt to discourage a headache from forming. "What…what was that? Is that normal? Who is that?"

"He was giving the Tenth a dirty look!" Gokudera added quickly, clearly prioritizing that above all else.

"Oh," She snorted. "That's just Chris – don't mind him, he does that to everyone."

"And that's why you literally threw yourself at him, or do you do that to everyone?" Yuri asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, no," Miyu laughed, pulling her earbuds out and hanging the wire around her neck. "He's my partner. I decided to try out pair skating at the beginning of the year, and my coach decided to pair me up with him."

"You guys must be close," Yamamoto noted. "It looks like you've got a lot of trust in each other." This only drew another snort out of her.

"Well, in pair skating, that's pretty much the first and most basic requirement, but…ah, let me just say this: on the ice, I trust him as far as he can throw me, but off the ice it's the other way around. He's a grade-A jerk with nerves of steel. The only way I can get him to even flinch is if I get reckless, like I did just now, but that always gets me an earful from our coach. Even so, I'd say it's completely worth it."

"Wow. You _really _don't like him – what did he do to earn that?"

"Are you kidding?" Turning around, she leaned against the wall, propping her elbows up against the stone as she glared daggers at Chris. "He is by far the worst bully at my high school, and I was apparently an easy target my freshman year. He tormented me."

"Then, why…?" Tsuna left the question hanging, unsure quite how to finish it. Glancing over her shoulder, she gave him a look that made him feel as though he should already know the answer.

"He lets me skate." Turning her gaze back around, she gave a small shrug. "I'll be the first to admit, he's good – if I'm working with him, I can just focus on myself without needing to worry about what he's doing. He's insufferable, but we share a goal as long as we're sharing a rink. Sabotaging me would mean sabotaging himself, so there aren't any mind games, no deliberate attempts to trip me…we constantly try to outclass each other, but that's as bad as it gets." After a moment of nothing but silence, she turned to face them once more and was met with several blank faces.

"That…uh…"

"Don't worry about it," She laughed, skating over to the entrance and slipping the plastic guards back over her blades as she stepped off of the ice. "In any case, I'm just about done, so…what do you guys say? Ready to come out and join me?"

"You won't leap at us, will you?"

"You have my word," She promised solemnly. "Don't worry, it'll be fun, I promise. Yuri, if you can just reach into my bag really quickly, there should be a notebook and a few pens…yeah, there you go. If you guys can just write down your shoe sizes, we can go get your skates."

Nodding, Yuri tore a piece of paper out and scribbled something across the top before passing it down to Ryohei. When the paper finally reached Miyu, she led them back to the main lobby, grinning broadly as the receptionist began pulling out one pair of skates after another, lining them up on the counter. Once everyone had grabbed their respective pairs, Miyu sat them down on a bench and showed them how to lace the boots up properly. In Ryohei's case, she had to step in and tie the laces for him when he simply made a large knot, ignoring the hooks completely.

Having already done it once before, they didn't have much trouble walking back out to the rink. When they finally made it onto the ice, though, it was another situation entirely.

"Stick close to the walls for now," Miyu instructed, skating backwards slowly and holding her arms out as though to catch them if they fell. Evidently, she barely even blinked, much less made a move to save him as Tsuna's feet immediately slipped out from underneath him. "Don't worry, that's going to happen a lot more from now on," She giggled, grabbing onto the wall and digging her toe pick into the ice as she helped him back up.

"And you said this was supposed to be fun?" He groaned, rubbing at his newly bruised tailbone.

"It's hard at first, but everyone gets the hang of it pretty quickly!" She grinned as Gokudera and Yamamoto both glided to his side, offering their help as well. "You'll get it in no time!"

"Easy for you to say…"

"Um," Yuri interrupted, pointing at a certain boxer's back as he shot off across the ice in a straight line, arms pin wheeling wildly to keep himself upright as he ran straight into the wall.

"Oh gosh," Miyu murmured, letting go of Tsuna's hand to skate after Ryohei. "I didn't expect that."

"Oww…" Tsuna groaned once more, his back already reunited with the ice. "M…maybe I should just wait back on the bleachers."

"Don't give up, Tenth!" Gokudera encouraged, frantically trying to pull his boss back upright. "The physics of this are simple! Once you understand the proper weight distribution, friction and heat output, along with the proper angles and trajectories to use in conjunction with each other, it'll be as simple as breathing! Here, I can go get that Grinning Idiot's notebook-"

"No, that's alright!" Automatically waving his arms, Tsuna found himself falling for the third time already. "I…I really think I should just wait-"

"Going to chicken out again, No Good Tsuna?" Reborn asked, gliding by deftly on a pair of skates that looked suspiciously similar to Leon. "You've only fallen three times and you're ready to throw in the towel. Try taking a look at your other friends."

Grumbling as he hauled himself back up, Tsuna clung to the wall, standing on wobbly ankles as he scanned the rest of the rink. Just a few yards ahead of him, Yuri was in a similar position, her legs quavering as she focused on putting one foot in front of the other. With every other step, her skate would fly forward or backward, forcing her to hook her arms over the edge of the wall and cling for dear life. And already at the other end of the rink, Ryohei was tumbling over yet another wall, yelling loudly as Miyu trailed after him with outstretched arms and a deeply concerned expression.

"Do you see either of them getting ready to give up?"

"Okay," Heaving a big breath, Tsuna grabbed the wall with both hands and struggled to walk forward. "I get it, I'll keep trying."

"That's the spirit!" Yamamoto grinned. "Just think of it as floating on a cloud, then it's not so scary! Fluffy, fluffy," He took off towards the center easily, skating in a wide circle with wide strokes. "_Fura-fura! Furaaaaa-furaaaaaaa!_"

"…"

"What kind of idiotic advice is that?" Gokudera snapped.

"Huh? I think it makes perfect sense!" Yamamoto countered as he started to skate backwards, only the slightest wobble in his knees.

"It's like you're speaking a different language! How is this anything like a cloud?"

"It's like floating!"

"You-!"

"Why don't you both just do it your way and see who skates better?" Yuri suddenly interrupted, skidding to a clumsy halt beside Tsuna. "Do a couple of laps around the rink or something. Frankly, I think Yamamoto's making more sense than you are, Hayato."

The bomber made a small choking noise, his eyes narrowing dangerously as Yamamoto laughed lightheartedly.

"What are you laughing at?" He snapped. "Fine! Start from that entrance over there, we'll do three laps! You don't stand a chance!"

"You think? I guess we'll see, but I've got a good feeling about this!"

As the two skated off, trading mockery and insults, Tsuna breathed a small sigh of relief.

"Thanks, Yuri."

"It didn't look easy to concentrate with that going on around you," She glanced down at their feet, raising her eyebrows. "It looks like you're starting to get the hang of it, though."

"Eh?" Glancing down as well, Tsuna realized his feet were no longer wobbling uncontrollably. "I'd hardly call this 'getting the hang of it'. I still can't take a step without holding the wall."

"Neither can I," She countered with an amused, if not slightly irritated smile. "I almost feel bad, cutting the ice up like I am."

"Don't be ridiculous," Miyu suddenly cut into the conversation, gliding up beside them. "That's literally all it's there for. Don't underestimate ice's resilience. You're both picking this up pretty quickly, by the way."

"You don't need to be nice," Tsuna grumbled, glancing at the boys racing around the rink. Gokudera practically looked like a professional already, and while Yamamoto was a bit clumsier, he was a natural. Ryohei had joined the fray as well, and though he hadn't quite figured out how to turn properly yet, he was keeping up surprisingly well.

"What, them?" Miyu watched as they finished another lap, giggling at their varied performances. "You can't compare yourself to them – they're freaks. Look, when I first started, I spent months just falling. I would probably get one successful jump in every twenty-five tries or so, and it was the same for everyone else here. Don't get down on yourself for falling a few times."

"R-right," Tsuna gave her an embarrassed chuckle. "This is just for fun, anyways. It's not like I'm being graded, right?"

"Exactly. Here," She lined herself up behind him, placing her hands on his shoulders. "This should help you feel a little more balanced. Just keep one hand on the wall, and if you feel yourself falling forward, push back instead and I'll catch you."

"Okay," Narrowing his eyes in concentration, he began putting one foot in front of the other again. He almost fell several times, but Miyu kept her promise and successfully kept him upright, yanking him back onto his feet over and over again. Several times, Yuri had to dive in and grab his hands as well, but eventually, he began to improve.

"And there you go!" Miyu exclaimed after a while, clapping happily as he glided forward without any support from her or the wall. "I told you!"

"A-ahaha…" He chuckled disbelievingly. "I didn't think it was possible."

"Way to go, Tsuna!" Yamamoto called out, slowing down as they came around for another lap.

"Looking good, Tenth!"

"Extremely good progress!" Without slowing down in the slightest, Ryohei snatched Tsuna's wrist in a vise-like grip, dragging the boy along after him. "You should join our race!"

"Eh, wait, Onii-san!"

"Oi, turf-top, what the hell do you think you're doing?!"

And just like that, they were all off again, Tsuna just barely managing to stay upright for half of the lap before losing his balance and face planting.

"Ooh, that looked painful," Miyu grimaced.

"They're too rough on him sometimes," Yuri agreed. "But it's nothing he can't handle."

"That isn't hard to believe, for some reason. So, what about you?"

"Me?"

"You've gotten pretty good yourself – want to learn a jump or two before we wrap up?"

"I…don't think that's a good idea."

"Come on," Grabbing the girl's wrists, Miyu tugged her towards a vacant corner. "At least give it a shot."

"Just wait, you'll agree with me soon enough."

"We'll see," She said teasingly. "Here, look…this one's easy, it's called a toe loop…"

* * *

><p>"Hello? Earth to Takeshi?" Yamamoto blinked as Kazuo's face suddenly appeared just inches in front of his own. "Anybody home?"<p>

"S-sorry," He apologized quickly, pulling back. "I guess I'm a little more tired than I thought, what did you say?"

"It was fun, right?" Miyu repeated, giving him a strange look.

"Ah, yeah! Thanks for taking us!"

When their time on the ice had finally come to an end, Miyu had somehow been the only one shivering. After sharing countless falls from managing Ryohei, helping Tsuna, and recklessly trying to perform lifts with Yuri, her clothes had been soaked nearly straight through. When they returned to the locker room, she had decided to just change out of her practice clothes and into the warm (and substantially drier) outfit that she had arrived in. Because she was wearing a leotard beneath everything else, she didn't even think twice about stripping right in front of them, shocking nearly everyone.

When she slipped her pants off, though, nobody could look away.

_"M…Miyu…"_ Was all he had been able to choke out at first. _"What are those?"_

Her hips and thighs were riddled with dark, mottled bruises. It had almost looked like an abstract work of art, blues and purples in some places, dull yellows and greens in others.

_"Huh?" _She had looked genuinely puzzled for a moment before following their shocked gazes down to the injuries. She laughed just a bit too quickly. _"Ah, too many bad falls in a row – I told you didn't I? I spend more of my time falling than I do sticking the landing!"_ When she pulled her shirt off, they could see that her back was in a similar condition.

_"You aren't pushing yourself too hard…are you?"_

_"Oh, these are nothing. Trust me, they look worse than they are – any other skater will tell you the same thing."_

Though it was certainly easy to see how one could accumulate that many bruises from falling onto a hard surface over and over again, it had left a bad taste in his mouth.

When the worried looks refused to leave their faces, she suggested a spontaneous hospital visit to see Kazuo. In the end, though, everyone else opted to return to the hotel – most likely to finish their earlier discussion concerning the Trovare – so Yamamoto ended up being the only one to accompany her, not wanting to miss out on the chance to see his friend again.

"You know, skating exercises a lot of muscle groups that you don't usually use," Miyu said, leaning in to examine his face more closely. "If you're tired, I can easily call you a cab."

"Don't push yourself just for me," Kazuo agreed, leaning back against the pillows on his bed. "I'm sure there'll be more chances for you to come visit!"

"No, I'm fine!" Yamamoto brushed their worries aside quickly. "I'm sure I'll perk back up soon enough. I always get drowsy when the sun is setting."

"Well, if you say so," Propping his chin on his fist, Kazuo gave him an impish grin that looked unnervingly similar to Miyu's. "You should make sure to take care of yourself, though. Last time you were here, that boxer friend of yours told me you broke your arm a couple years back when you pushed yourself too hard."

"Ah," Yamamoto's eyes darkened at the memory. "Don't worry. I had a good friend at the time that helped me come to my senses."

"That's good to hear. You have no idea how worried I was that you'd get yourself into trouble after I left."

"What? Why would you worry about that?"

"You're gullible, don't deny it! Gullible and naïve!"

"That's kind of harsh, isn't it?"

"You think so? I always thought those were your charm points. The girls in your class loved that about you, didn't they?"

"That they did," Miyu laughed. "I remember the first time one of our classmates told you about cooties, right before Valentine's Day. At least a dozen girls experienced their first broken hearts when you refused all of their chocolate."

"You're kidding!" Kazuo grinned, his eyes flashing as he elbowed Yamamoto playfully. "You never told me you were a heartbreaker!"

"I-I'm not! That didn't-! I wasn't-! I don't remember that at all!"

They almost didn't notice a nurse poking her head into the room as they continued laughing. The young woman wore a timid smile, looking reluctant to interrupt the conversation, but she finally tapped Miyu's shoulder and said something quickly in English.

"Mm, okay," Miyu nodded, turning back to them as she stood and followed the nurse out. "I'll be right back."

"Ahh, I'm jealous!" Kazuo exclaimed before Yamamoto could even ask what that had been about. "I wish I could have gone with you guys! I only got to try skating once or twice before I got stuck in this bed."

"Y-yeah…" Yamamoto tried to match his laughter, but it came out sounding strained and awkward. Glancing down at his feet, he tried to think of a way to respond, a way to phrase the question that seemed to be dancing along his tongue, knocking on his teeth and pressing against his lips. But before he knew it, his pause had drawn out into an uncomfortably long silence, and then Kazuo was sighing.

"So she told you."

"…I…why…" Opening and closing his mouth, Yamamoto shook his head, licking his lips as he continued to struggle with the question.

"Why did I lie?" Kazuo offered. The swordsman froze for a moment, then nodded. "Ah…I'm used to protecting you. Even though you're sitting right in front of me, it's hard for me to remember that you're not that scrawny little kid who used to cry over a scraped knee. I thought about telling you, but every time I tried, my throat would just close up. Your mom-"

"That has nothing to do with this." Suddenly, Yamamoto's voice started working again, and it was firmer than ever. "That isn't a reason to keep something like this a secret."

"No, it's not," Kazuo agreed with a rueful sigh. "But don't act like it has 'nothing to do with this'. I remember her. How full of life she was, how bright her smile could be, how she'd blow on your cuts and scrapes and tell you she was sending them to visit the stars to get healed up. And I remember watching _you_ while you watched that life drain out of her. I just…I didn't want to put you through that again. It didn't feel fair."

"Look at you," Yamamoto let out a sound that was somewhere between a laugh and a sob. "Talking about how this is unfair to _me_? You're just as crazy as you were back then."

"…I'm sorry."

"Don't tell me sorry. I don't need to hear _sorry_. I need to hear that you're going to get better! I need to know that you're still going to be here next week, and next year and the year after that and after-" His voice gave a little hitch, cutting his words off. Kazuo wasn't looking away, and there was a sad, strained smile on his face…but he wasn't saying anything.

"I'm sorry, Takeshi. I really am."

Suddenly, they could hear Miyu's voice, even through the closed door. The words were in English, indecipherable to Yamamoto's ears, but her voice was climbing in both volume and pitch, taking on a shaky panicked tone that sounded as though she were on the edge of tears. Even though he couldn't understand, he knew. She was begging.

"What are they saying?" This time, Kazuo did look away, turning to stare out the window. When Yamamoto spoke again, his voice wobbled the way Tsuna had on the ice. "Sempai. _What_ are they saying?"

A deep breath, shoulders rising high and falling back down in defeat.

"They're telling her that we can't afford the treatment." He took a long pause, drawing out the silence for as long as he could. "And that without it…I've got a year left to live, at best."

Yamamoto finally crumpled. Chest heaving. Eyes stinging. Ears ringing so loudly they almost drowned out the endless loop of _I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…_

* * *

><p>Yamamoto never thought he'd be so relieved to recognize the translator's face among the staff when he finally strode back through the hotel's entrance.<p>

"Oh my, the Vongola Tenth's young guardian! Welcome back, sir – your family is waiting in their rooms, I believe."

"Ah, thanks, but…I was actually looking for you."

"Oh! Well, of course, what can I do for you?"

"You…" The swordsman rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. What he was about to say felt weird just resting in his mind, he couldn't even begin to imagine it coming out of his mouth. "You're…well acquainted with the mafia…right?"

"That _is_ the line of business we're in, isn't it? I'm afraid you'll have to be more specific."

"Is there a way to make a lot of money in a short amount of time?"

Jonathan blinked, eyebrows practically lifting into his hairline.

"…yes…" He drew out the word, sounding it out cautiously. "Plenty, in fact. I assume you realize that none of them are _legal_, per se?"

"Yes."

"And it's certainly not my place to question your judgment, but I do feel it's my moral duty to let you know that none of them are safe or necessarily…ethical."

"I…I assumed."

"…If you're sure."

"I haven't made a decision yet, or anything, I just…want to know the options."

"Of course. I can have information sent up to your room within the hour."

"You…aren't going to ask why?"

"In my experience, I've learned not to. The Vongola Tenth's family is young, but you've all shown nothing but capability and competence thus far. I trust your reasons are sound."

"Oh. Well…Thank you."

"Of course." Jonathan bowed deeply before turning away. "I hope your situation resolves itself."

Taking a deep breath, Yamamoto held it for several seconds before letting it back out. By the time he drew in his next breath, his familiar broad grin was back in place, as though it had never even shattered.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Oh dear. I started this chapter off on a lighthearted note, and it just kind of slingshotted around to whatever this is that I just spewed out, because plot. Sorry if the entire skating portion of this chapter feels a bit slow - I started researching figure skating when I first started drafting this chapter up and it got out of hand (if any of you are interested in skating, though, I highly recommend watching some of the montages out there; the things that those athletes are able to do and the work that they put into it just absolutely astounds me!) Unfortunately that led to my first draft being very factually correct and also horribly boring. I've been trying to fix that ever since, but things were just getting to a point where I had to either post or slip into another hiatus, so I just decided to post. I hope you all are able to enjoy it regardless! And since V-Day just flew by, I hope you got to spend the day with someone special, and if not, that you spent the day pampering yourself! As always, thank you so so so much for all of the love and support that you guys have given me this past year! Stay safe!


	15. Disguises

Tsuna received his next call two days later.

It came in the form of a small disposable cell phone, tucked into a manila envelope and left outside of his room with a small note stuck to the front: "_Talk to you soon_."

He spent half an hour fiddling with the device, unsuccessfully trying to maneuver through the English interface on his own, before enlisting the help of his friends. When another twenty minutes ticked by without any luck, he finally gave up and wandered down to the lobby in search of Jonathan's assistance.

Only then did the phone ring.

The timing was uncanny – the screen lit up as soon as it touched Jonathan's palm, and he ended up dropping it in surprise as it began buzzing loudly. The experience only served to feed Tsuna's mounting paranoia, especially when the mysterious caller turned out to be the consigliere…otherwise known as the man they couldn't possibly interact with, unless Jonathan was with them. What were the chances that he would call right as the phone dropped into Jonathan's hand? Even Tsuna wasn't so naïve as to write that off as simple coincidence.

The timing was _uncanny_.

They were just small things here and there, but Tsuna was quietly filing away bits of evidence that supported a growing theory. With each passing day spent in New York, he grew more and more certain that the little suspicion, which had been nagging at him quietly but persistently over the past few days, was more than just a mere suspicion – they were being watched. By whom, or from where, he couldn't even begin to hypothesize, but he was certain that his hunch wasn't stemming from paranoia alone.

Still, he kept the revelation to himself. At the moment, everything pointed to the American mafia. It wasn't exactly surprising, but it also meant that secrets were still being kept. It may have simply been out of caution, or it may have been some kind of test for him – either way, Tsuna didn't see much point in raising alarm. There was no telling what lengths Gokudera would go to if he thought they were being spied on, and there wasn't much point to causing needless worry when he didn't have any solid evidence to go on. He would probably bring it up with Reborn later, but for now, he'd just treat it as something to keep in mind.

As strange as it sounded, there were more important matters to deal with than a potential spy at the moment; the consigliere had news for them.

The rendezvous point was significantly higher-end this time, a ritzy diner with high ceilings and wide windows. Sunlight poured in and bounced off the crystals of several chandeliers, refractions dancing along the tapestries that hung across the walls.

"I was wondering why he had told us to dress up," Tsuna murmured, giving Yuri a glance that contained some mixture of smugness and sympathy. "I guess we should probably thank Miyu, shouldn't we?"

The frown she shot at him wasn't quite empty of malice, but it held a certain note of resignation that only appeared when she knew she was wrong.

The instructions Jonathan relayed through the phone call had been simple, but explicit: Tsuna was to pose as a businessman, taking his spouse out to meet his coworkers over lunch. There had been some fussing from Gokudera, who even offered to disguise himself as a woman if it meant remaining at the Tenth's side, but Tsuna ultimately overruled the idea. It was possible the bomber might be able to realistically pass as a woman, on the condition that he stay silent, but everyone knew that was an almost hilariously unrealistic expectation.

So the role had defaulted to Yuri, who was significantly less willing to be wrestled into a dress, but her sense of duty eventually overcame her pride, and she reluctantly agreed to accompany Tsuna in the outfit that Miyu had bought for her just a few days prior.

They both ended up borrowing clothes from Gokudera, who had been the only one with enough foresight to pack some formal wear. Fortunately, he and Tsuna seemed to be the same size, with the pants only sagging slightly around the latter's waist – an issue that was easily fixed with a belt. Yuri, on the other hand, stood roughly four inches shorter than the bomber. The hem of his coat swam around her thighs, but her shoulders were broad enough to mostly fill out the upper half of the garment, so with a few strategically placed safety pins, it was able to pass as a fairly convincing blazer. The plain black garment was all it took to pull the outfit together, making her look more like a professional business woman than a fashion savvy teen.

"Personally, I think we look more like business partners than…um, romantic ones." Tsuna noted as nonchalantly as he could while they were waiting to be seated, trying to make conversation that didn't revolve around the elephant in the room.

Honestly, the idea of posing as couple flustered him to no end, but Yuri simply held an air of indifference and slight boredom. She had spent the better part of her life playing this sort of role, on a level that Tsuna could barely wrap his head around – this entire affair must have seemed so trivial to her. When faced with such dispassion, Tsuna refused to reveal just how uneasy this made him.

"If I'm being perfectly honest with you," She murmured, digging through the nonexistent contents of her purse. "I think I prefer that."

"Yeah. Me too."

"I imagine you'd rather do this with Sasagawa's younger sister." Tsuna gulped – was he that easy to read? Truthfully, Kyoko had been on his mind from the moment this entire façade had begun. The idea of seeing her all dressed up, getting to take her out for lunch in such a high class place, pretending to be…well, needless to say, it was along the same vein as many other fantasies that had played out in his mind over the years. "Sorry you're stuck with me."

"Not at all," A slightly relieved breath escaped from Tsuna's lungs. For once, he knew exactly what to say. "The idea is nice, but…well, it would all just be pretend, you know? That just kind of makes it sadder, somehow. Despite what we're trying to make it look like, I'm not here on a date. This is strictly business, and in that particular scenario, I'd really rather have you by my side."

"Careful, Boss," Yuri chuckled, giving him an appreciative smile. "That was almost charming. You just might make me fall for you after all."

"I…I…" Before Tsuna could even begin digging himself into a hole, her eyes wandered past him and suddenly grew sharp, her posture stiffening.

"He's here," She whispered, averting her gaze and focusing her attention back on the inside of her purse. Following her lead, Tsuna started brushing at some imaginary lint on his knee as he listened to the telltale lilt of Jonathan's voice behind him.

All of this felt a bit surreal, like some kind of game he would have played as a child. The only difference was that he wasn't quite sure what the consequences of losing this particular game was, and he didn't have much interest in finding out.

No less than five minutes after Jonathan's arrival, a waiter appeared before them, wearing a congenial smile and beckoning the pair to follow him down a small set of stairs, onto the floor of the dining area. He led them to a table towards the back, carefully placed so that it would be difficult to eavesdrop on their conversation, but not so secluded as to look suspicious. Jonathan shot them a bright grin, already sitting with another man, who was standing to greet them enthusiastically.

Tsuna blinked as his hand was abruptly gripped in a firm handshake; he had to force the surprise out of his expression, quickly equipping a warm smile instead.

He barely recognized the consigliere, dressed in a crisp suit instead of an old flannel, blond hair slicked back rather than crammed beneath a beat up baseball cap, pearly white teeth replacing the surly frown…this was a _completely_ different person from the man he had met in the bar, and Tsuna found himself feeling just a touch more paranoid as he suddenly found reason to wonder just how much of a performer this guy was.

Burying his distrust, Tsuna took his seat and resolved to simply mirror the man's exemplary acting skills for now. He'd have plenty of time to worry later.

For several minutes, the four of them simply exchanged pleasantries and hollow smiles as the wait staff came and went over and over again, taking their orders and serving them drinks, every single one of them a bit too eager to please. When the food finally arrived, the waiter hovered for a moment, smiling tensely as he asked, "Is there anything else I can get for you?" for the umpteenth time. The consigliere's grinning mask cracked slightly as he hissed out a sigh, the muscles around his eyes twitching as he pulled out a generous wad of bills and subtly pressed them into the waiter's palm.

"You're being too obvious," Jonathan translated quickly as the man finally left, leaving the consigliere to glower openly at them. "The staff has already picked up on what we're doing here."

"We've done everything you told us to," Tsuna shifted uncomfortably, finally putting together exactly what had just happened. "We came separately from Jonathan, we're acting like a couple-"

"A couple on the verge of breaking up, you mean?" The blond man shot Yuri an exasperated look. "You look like you're on death row, not happily married."

Yuri leveled her gaze on him, staring icily.

"Y…you didn't tell us we were supposed to be married," Tsuna stuttered, trying to air out the tension a bit. "There's no way we could look that old."

"That's not his point," Yuri murmured, letting out a huffy sigh that sounded more like a growl as she rolled her eyes up towards the ceiling and hissed out a resentful, "…_fine_."

Tsuna barely registered the corners of her mouth curling up into a wide grin, stretching so far it looked as though her face might split in half, before she threw her head back and released a loud, almost shrieking peal of laughter.

He jumped at that, and then he jumped even higher when he suddenly found her hand sliding over his, twining their fingers intimately. As her laughter died down, Yuri tucked her free hand into the crook of his elbow and laid her head against his shoulder, still giggling lightly as she spoke through gritted teeth, "_Better?_"

The consigliere had his eyebrow raised, whether in judgement or amusement, Tsuna couldn't be sure…but he did seem appeased.

"Better," He acknowledged. "If you can keep that up, we may actually finish this up in a timely manner. Vongola, try to loosen up a bit."

"Mnh…" Tsuna shifted awkwardly, trying to relax into the new pose. "Sorry, I was just…taken by surprise."

"You don't need to be an art exhibit for this," The blond couldn't help chuckling as Tsuna patted Yuri's hand awkwardly. "Go ahead and start eating. I'll be brief."

"You'd better," Yuri muttered, her words at complete odds with her expression. "My face is already starting to hurt."

"Is it safe to assume you've made progress?" Tsuna asked over her continued grumblings.

"Considerably…but I didn't call you here for a simple status update. I needed to warn you."

Tsuna could see Yuri freeze in the periphery of his vision, her fork hovering halfway between her plate and mouth.

"You'd better choose your next words _very_ carefully," She hissed, no longer trying to maintain her smile. "Have you put my boss at risk?"

Tsuna fought the urge to groan – he may as well have just brought Gokudera along. When it came to his personal safety, those two were exactly alike – just the same breed of guard dog with only a slight variance in temper.

"I'm doing my best to avoid that," The consigliere replied, frowning down at her. "Why do you think I'm trying so hard to disguise you in public?"

"Let's not do this all over again," Tsuna interrupted swiftly. "I'm sorry if this sounds rude, but could you just get to the point?"

"Of course," The consigliere paused to take a few bites of food, simulating a natural break in the conversation before wiping his mouth and continuing. "A task force, of sorts, was assembled for the sole purpose of tracking down the Trovare, which I've been put in charge of. It's a small group of people who are all very good at what they do, so we were making an impressive amount of progress. We're close, Vongola Tenth – very close."

"But…?"

"One of our members is very…excitable. He decided to pursue the Trovare more aggressively when he saw an opportunity to do so. If he had taken the time to consult me on the matter, I would have told him that the Trovare aren't the type to leave 'opportunities' open."

"…it was a trap."

"If I weren't in charge of hunting them down, I may actually admit to being impressed by their work. In hindsight, I can recognize the fact that it was incredibly intricate, well thought out and perfectly executed. Alas, I'm the butt of this particular joke, so you never heard anything I just said."

"What happened?" Tsuna had stopped pretending to eat altogether, his stomach tied up in knots as he waited for the bad news.

"They kidnapped several of our members. Made negotiations, and refused to uphold their end of the deal every single time. We were so focused on what we assumed was them going on the offensive, preparing to deal a crippling blow before we could lay a finger on them. Voices were raised, a few punches were thrown…it was all very dramatic, and ultimately, little more than a puppet show. Yesterday evening, we discovered two things:

"First, all of our 'kidnapped' members were found in a local bar, drunk out of their minds but otherwise unharmed. They had absolutely no memory of what had occurred over the past few days, and no clue how they ended up there. Secondly," The consigliere's hand was clenching and unclenching as he spoke, frustration practically seeping out of his pores. "There was evidence of tampering in our electronic database. They left almost no trace of their presence in our system, but some footprints are impossible to erase, and though these footprints are miniscule…they're all over our records."

"So they distracted you with a blatant push for power, weakened your focus on internal security, and basically had a party in your backyard," Yuri mused, absently pushing her food around her plate. Setting her fork down, she shot the consigliere a look that could almost be sympathetic, if it weren't so heavily laced with venom. "You got played."

"Like I said – puppet show," He conceded humbly. "There's no way of knowing exactly what sort of information they got their hands on, much less how extensive it is…but for the moment, I'm simply assuming the worst. And if that's the case, then that means they have access to all the information we have on you."

"It sounds like you've been under a lot of stress. I'd offer to help, but something tells me you've got another plan in mind," Tsuna murmured. His voice sounded amazingly calm to his ears, considering the way his heart was hammering in his chest. "So…what do you recommend we do?"

"Are you honestly going to ask him for advice, Boss?" Yuri whispered beside him. "This is _twice_ that he's-"

"Our position hasn't changed. We still have to defer to The Commission while we're here, we can't exactly just take the situation into our own hands."

"But still-"

"We'll discuss it _later_," Tsuna told her firmly. "Right now, I'm just happy to have an ally. I don't intend to cut off our only source of information on this matter. Am I understood?"

Yuri chewed on her lip, her gaze darting between the men at the table, judging, weighing, scrutinizing. Finally, she bowed her head in deference and leaned back into her seat.

"Yes, Boss."

"Thank you." Nodding, Tsuna motioned for the Consigliere to continue, but the man didn't look terribly confident.

"At this point in time, I'm operating on the assumption that the Trovare not only know _of_ you, but they know everything about you. Faces, names, affiliations…your first course of action should be to change rooms, wherever you're staying. Don't switch hotels, they're likely monitoring for that kind of activity all throughout the city; just move onto a separate floor under aliases. You should have fabricated identification waiting for you at the front desk. If this drags on for much longer, we'll have to look into moving your families into safe houses, but for now, just keep your heads down. Whenever you have to leave the hotel, wear disguises, and get used to responding to your new names."

The consigliere sighed, running his fingers through his hair several times before leaning forward and taking Tsuna's hand in another firm handshake, "Don't let these rings out of your sight. Keep your family close at all times. If you think, at any point, that something feels off…get yourself somewhere safe, and contact someone you trust. Even if it's just a shadow in the edge of your vision, _allow_ yourself to be paranoid…" He trailed off, casting a furtive glance around the room.

When he spoke again, his voice was little more than a rustling of air.

"You _must_ be vigilant …because there isn't a doubt in my mind that the moment the Trovare discovered your significance to the Vongola Famiglia…_you_ became their number one target."

* * *

><p>Tsuna couldn't believe he had gotten stuck with such a generic name. '<em>Jo'<em>. It practically screamed '_This is not my real name!_' And yet, despite that, he could tell a lot of thought had been put into these aliases.

Gokudera and Yuri, who were clearly of mixed blood, had names that mirrored their heritage – Nicholas Russo and Valerie De Luca, respectively. It felt beyond strange, pinning such foreign titles to his friends, but Tsuna could see how a stranger wouldn't even blink at it.

The remaining three boys, on the other hand, were undeniably of Asian descent, and they were named as such, with painfully common surnames like Tanaka, Nakamura, and Sato. Tsuna had to admit that their given names were kind of clever, though – they were definitely Japanese, but when the kanji was Romanized, they sounded like common American names. So his 'Jo' could be mistaken for 'Joe', Yamamoto's 'Kento' for 'Kent', and Ryohei's 'Rei' for 'Ray'. They were designed to do everything _but_ stand out.

"I don't see what difference it makes when none of us can speak English," Yuri grumbled from the couch. "Oi, Rei…Rei…_Rei!_"

"Huh?" Ryohei finally snapped his head up when Yamamoto gave him a helpful jab to the ribs. "Oh, right! That is…extremely me!"

They had all agreed that it was best to practice recognizing and responding to their new names as soon as possible, so they were spending the evening calling each other's names out at random. Yuri had picked it up immediately, which didn't come as much of a surprise. They had met her as Riko, after all, and she had never once slipped up while wearing that name – who knew how many other aliases she had used over the years? Ryohei, on the other hand, just couldn't seem to get the hang of it. Even when someone said 'Rei' directly into his face, he still managed to wear a perfectly blank expression. Everyone else simply fell somewhere between those two extremes.

"What _I'm_ curious about is how they got these photos of us," Yamamoto mused, holding his ID up to the lamp. "It's amazingly realistic, but I don't think I've ever seen this picture of me."

"I've learned to stop questioning these things," Tsuna mumbled back. Only a fraction of his attention was focused on the conversation at hand, which was scattered all over the place anyways. Everyone was lost in thought.

Tsuna glanced up, scanning the area around him with a furrowed brow. When he and Yuri returned from the meeting, they barely had time to explain the situation before the hotel staff had arrived to gather their belongings and whisk them into their new rooms. But that wasn't what was bothering him. They were no longer living in the lap of luxury, of course, but their accommodations were still high quality – just smaller, and closer to the ground. No, the move hardly bothered Tsuna at all.

What bothered him was the fact that his family was in danger.

The Ninth had never said that this might be a dangerous mission, and maybe it wasn't supposed to be, but now that things had turned out this way…he couldn't stop coming up with reasons to blame himself.

_He_ had chosen to go to Italy. His friends simply followed him out of loyalty. He should have known better than to let them accompany him, out of what? Insecurity? He was well aware of the fact that he wouldn't have even considered the trip if he didn't have the support of his guardians. Reborn had told him it was because he was a leader, but he didn't feel like much of a leader – without them, he was nothing. He was always relying on them, depending on them…he had spent his entire life falling down, but at what point had he started expecting them to catch him?

Angry, unforgiving facts tore through his mind, accusing, blaming, screaming_.._.

He had fought so hard to gain Yuri's trust, and the first thing he did was put her in danger. Meanwhile, Gokudera wouldn't even think twice about sacrificing himself for Tsuna's sake. And if something happened to Ryohei, Tsuna didn't know what he'd tell Kyoko, or how he'd even face her. And Yamamoto…

Honestly, Yamamoto was the one who worried Tsuna the most. Ever since they had met the Nomiya siblings, the swordsman just hadn't been the same.

His thoughts were constantly somewhere else, a quiet intensity whispering around him. Tsuna didn't know what had happened or what had changed, but Yamamoto had become…lost. And yet, with every passing day, he seemed to gain some kind of focus, some sort of newfound determination, and it unnerved Tsuna to no end. It was too familiar – the last time he had felt something like this from Yamamoto had been during the inheritance test with Asari Ugetsu. He had lost sight of himself back then, and Tsuna could tell without needing to ask that he had lost sight of himself yet again.

But unlike the test, this didn't involve Tsuna at all. It was a burden that Yamamoto was determined to shoulder himself, and Tsuna couldn't even ask what was wrong, much less try to help. If the Trovare decided to attack while Yamamoto was in this state of mind…

Tsuna shuddered at the thought.

"-that? Jo? Oi, _Tsuna._" His train of thought was suddenly brought to grinding halt when Reborn brought his foot down hard on his head. "What's the matter with you? You're right next to the phone."

"What?" Rubbing the newly afflicted area, Tsuna realized the phone beside him was ringing, and probably had been for a while now. Yamamoto was currently making a wild dive for it, just barely picking it up in time. "Oh…sorry, I was just…distracted."

"Of course you were," Reborn settled on Tsuna's shoulder with a displeased frown. "But this is hardly the time to be getting distracted. We're essentially on red alert here, you can't afford to let your mind wander."

"No, you're right," Tsuna rubbed at his eyes, trying to refocus his attention in the present. "Sorry. I'll try not to let it happen again."

Silence. Tsuna cringed – when Reborn chose to be silent, Tsuna never knew whether to feel nervous or relieved…but at least the Arcobaleno wasn't hitting him again. That was always reason enough to be thankful.

"Yes…yes, I understand…thank you," After setting the phone back in its cradle, Yamamoto turned around to reveal a befuddled expression.

"What is it?" Tsuna asked.

"A…guest."

Gokudera was immediately on his feet.

"It has to be a trap!"

"The timing _is_ suspect," Yuri agreed quickly. "Almost…blatantly so. Do you think they'd try something so obvious?"

"From what we've heard, the Trovare aren't the type to mess around, and they like to play mind games," Reborn hopped off of Tsuna's shoulder and onto the couch, staring at the phone like he expected to intimidate an answer out of it. "Until we get a better grasp of how they operate as an organization, I can see it going either way."

"But…what if it really is just a guest?" Yamamoto seemed hesitant to ask the obvious question. "It could be Miyu again."

"It's nearly eleven, you baseball idiot," Gokudera snapped. "What the hell would she be doing here at this hour?"

"…well…blackmail is a possibility," Yuri offered after a minute. "We've been seen in public with her, and we know her brother is hospitalized. She'd be a perfect victim, and I doubt the Trovare would be above using an innocent bystander to get to us."

"If that's the case, we can't just leave her down there – it would be extremely cruel!" Ryohei punctuated his protest with a fist to the wall, making several decorations rattle loudly.

"Hold on, we're not even sure that it's her down there." Tsuna held up both hands, desperate to slow the conversation. The last thing they needed was to start jumping to conclusions.

"But if it _is_," Yamamoto leveled his gaze on Tsuna, so serious it sent a chill down his spine. "You know I can't just sit still with that as a possibility."

"Well…no, of course not, but…we should at least take some time to think this through."

"Unfortunately, it sounds like time isn't something that we have," Yuri broke in. She crossed the room with a few wide strides and dropped into a crouch by her duffel bag, rifling through its contents. "I'm not content to just cower in here, flinching at everything that goes bump in the night, and I doubt that any of you are either. So," She turned around, revealing what she had been looking for – her gun. As she spoke, she fed bullets into the magazine, her fingers moving deftly across the metal. "Let's make a plan."

"You've had that on you this entire time?"

"Not what we should be focusing on right now."

"Hey, wait a second," Gokudera stepped forward and grabbed her wrist, forcing her to stop. "Are you suggesting we _deliberately_ put the Tenth at risk? I don't care if you've got a gun or not, I'll gladly die before I let that happen."

"Go-Gokudera, let's not-"

"Oh, calm down," Yuri twisted her hand free with an irritated scowl. "I'm suggesting we set a trap of our own."

"A trap?" Tsuna's brow furrowed, not quite sure how she planned to come up with anything foolproof within the next few minutes.

"All of us will go down, but we'll only send Yamamoto out into the lobby. Reborn can easily sneak ahead to cover the entrance, and the rest of us will stay with the Boss, cover as many vantage points as we can. Elevators and emergency exits should be a priority."

"That…"

"Could work." Reborn finished for him. "I'll go on ahead while you figure out the details. Don't waste any more time arguing."

While the hitman left them to their own devices, the wheels in Gokudera's head had already begun turning, and he shifted his attention to the map of the floor by the room's entrance.

"If this layout is consistent throughout the building," He murmured, eyes darting back and forth as quickly. "Then…these should be the most advantageous points. They're close to each other, and should allow us to scan the entire area – minimal blind spots."

"Sounds good," Yuri gave him quick a nod of acknowledgment, reaching behind her to tuck the gun into her waistband. "Sasagawa, come with me. If we leave now, we can take the stairs down – it'll put us right next to that exit."

"I'm right behind you," The boxer had an uncharacteristically serious tone, but his eyes shone with excitement as he followed Yuri out the door.

Tsuna looked at his remaining two friends with wide eyes, barely comprehending everything that had just happened in the last minute.

"Let's go," Gokudera ushered them towards the door as well. "We'll take the elevator."

"And…and then what?!" Tsuna couldn't keep the panic out of his voice. Everything was moving so quickly, he couldn't quite bring himself to believe that this was an airtight plan.

"You and I will stay behind while Yamamoto goes out to meet his girlfriend."

"Hey, she's not-"

"Less protesting, more moving."

Without an ounce of grace, Gokudera pushed the pair into the elevator and jammed his thumb against the ground floor button before repeatedly pressing the "close doors" button. When they finally started moving, the tension suddenly grew several times more palpable, offset only by the soft music drifting through the speakers.

"…she's not my girlfriend." Yamamoto muttered after a few moments of silence, shoving his hands into his pockets. Gokudera let out an exasperated sigh, rolling his eyes.

"What did Yuri say…'Not what we should be focusing on right now'? I don't care what she is or what happens to her, but you'd better take this seriously. If she gets involved in this mess, she's just going to end up dead."

Yamamoto stiffened at that, his lips pressing into a thin line.

"Gokudera, that might be going a bit far," Tsuna stammered.

"It's not, Tenth," The bomber replied immediately, shooting him a worried look. "The mafia doesn't mess around. Once a Family has decided you're a liability, no matter how small it is…you need to assume lives are on the line."

"…" Tsuna lowered his eyes, letting the words sink in, reinforcing his earlier train of thought. This was on him. He had gotten every single one of them involved, a list which now included Miyuki and Kazuo. It was on him. "Right. I guess the reality of this just hasn't fully…I'll keep that in mind from now on."

Gokudera didn't have time to reply before the elevator doors slid open, announcing their arrival with a quiet little _ding!_ Pressing a finger to his lips, he led them out, quickly ducking around the nearest corner.

Tsuna crouched beside him, peeking past a large potted plant. Scanning the area, he could see the top of Ryohei's head poking out from a similar decoration on the other side of the lobby, Yuri a mere silhouette behind him. There was no sign of Reborn, but Tsuna had no doubt that he was there, well concealed in one of his many clever disguises.

The room was completely empty except for the staff behind the front desk, and a lone figure in front of it.

It _was_ Miyu.

She was standing with her back to them, stretching up on her toes to lean over the counter and speak with the clerk at eye level. A backpack sagged limply by her feet, and her hair was damp and disheveled. She was dressed in nothing but a thin tank top and a pair of cotton shorts, while her sneakers were shoved onto her feet with the laces untied, no socks underneath. Everything about her presence there felt off.

From the corner of his eye, Tsuna could see Gokudera nodding at Yamamoto, which was all the encouragement the swordsman needed. Without any hesitation or thought for his own safety, the swordsman stepped out into the lobby, walking swiftly as he called out to the girl.

"Miyu! What are you doing here so la-?" He froze when she turned to face him, and Tsuna tensed like a coiled spring. He couldn't see past Yamamoto's back from this position, and he barely dared to breathe, much less move.

"Ah, Takeppi…" Her voice sounded…bashful. "D-don't freak out!"

"_What happened?_" He was suddenly bolting forward, hands stretching towards her face. Their positions shifted slightly, and Tsuna sucked in a surprised breath, now understanding Yamamoto's reaction.

The left side of her face was covered in a nasty bruise. Her cheek was a painfully bright shade of red, clearly inflamed. Her eye was almost completely swollen shut, the skin a dark, ugly purple. Her lip was split, and a wad of bloodied tissue was crammed into her nostril, which still appeared to be bleeding.

"It looks worse than it is, really," She laughed, swallowing hard as Yamamoto gingerly touched the injured areas, and tried to crack a joke, "I may have made it worse by walking into a few doors on my way here."

"Who did this to you? When did this happen? We need to get you-"

"Calm _down_," She insisted, grabbing his wrists to keep him from fussing any further. "I'm not dying, it's okay."

A bit of movement across the room caught snagged Tsuna's attention, and he looked up to see Ryohei standing up. Blinking, he noticed Yuri was no longer with the boxer – she was stepping right through the front entrance, causally lifting a hand in greeting.

"Is that Miyu?" Tsuna could barely hear her voice. "What's going on?"

"Oi," Gokudera hissed beside him. "What is she doing?"

"I'-I'm not sure…" Tsuna shifted his weight, getting ready to try and sneak further into the lobby, only to find a small figure suddenly standing in his way. "Reborn?"

"Ciaossu," The hitman smirked, obviously amused by their confusion. "I didn't see anything unusual by the entrance, so I got Yuri to help me make a quick scan of the perimeter. It's clear – looks like Miyu really is just paying you a late night visit."

"This is more than a little suspicious, though."

"It is. Leon and I will keep patrolling for now, but I don't think this has anything to do with the Trovare. Miyu looks like she's in pretty bad shape, though – you should go see if you can find out what happened. Gokudera, you should go meet Ryohei by the stairwell. I have a feeling he might need some help getting ahold of a first aid kit."

"Tsk," The bomber didn't look happy to part ways with his boss, but he seemed content with the knowledge that they weren't in any immediate danger. "It's better than sitting around and wondering what's going on. I'll stick to the halls and keep an eye on the area. If anything looks off, I'll yell out."

"…okay." Tsuna finally agreed. "Be careful."

Exchanging a quick nod, they parted ways, Gokudera retreating back towards the exit while Tsuna moved to join the others in the lobby.

Miyu was still trying to calm Yamamoto down, who had her face back in his hands and was twisting her head around to examine the damage. When she caught sight of Tsuna, she just let out a low groan.

"Not you, too," She wore a tired smile. "I swear, if I knew I'd cause this much of a fuss, I wouldn't have come."

"Yamamoto, stop fretting over her for a minute, will you?" Yuri scolded quietly, placing her hands lightly on Miyu's shoulders. "Let's bring her up to one of our rooms and get her fixed up – _then _you can interrogate her."

After taking the elevator back up to their own floor, the three of them bumped into Gokudera, who guided them to Yamamoto and Ryohei's room. The boxer had set up what looked to be a small infirmary inside, having emptied a first aid kit of its contents and organized them neatly on the table.

"Looks like you got into an extreme fight, Nomiya," He greeted, gesturing for her to take a seat.

"Sorry for the trouble," She murmured bowing slightly before entering the room and making her way over to the sofa.

"Have you treated any of this yet?"

"Aside from taking a shower…no, not really."

Grunting in response, the boxer opened up a few pre-packaged alcohol wipes and grabbed her chin, angling her face towards the light.

"Can we…ask what happened?" Tsuna finally asked, timidly taking a seat beside her.

"Well, it's not really fair for me to just show up on your doorstep like this, without any explanation," She sighed, letting her good eye roam over all of them. "I had a…argument with a few boys at school. Some unpleasant words were exchanged, and I probably could have afforded to hold my tongue, but…well, I didn't."

"What…" Tsuna was having trouble envisioning that. "What did you say, exactly?"

"…"She winced slightly as Ryohei began dabbing at the small cuts around her eye, and pursed her lips thoughtfully for a moment. "Well, to summarize it in a concise manner…the words 'son of a pox-ridden whore' may have passed through my lips at one point. Personally, I think that may have been my greatest achievement."

"…" Somehow, hearing her speak was even more shocking than the state of her face. The fact that she was capable of saying something so foul was…more than a bit jarring.

"Okay, I regret my decision at this point," She admitted as the silence stretched on. "But at the time, it felt adequately clever and sufficiently mean-spirited."

"And they did that to you?" Gokudera asked the question like it was more of a statement, as if that was the obvious direction that course of events would take.

"Well, not right then and there, no. Too many witnesses," She looked down, her fingers picking at the hem of her shorts. "They jumped me on my way home."

"How many of them were there?" Yuri asked.

"Um…three, originally, but one of them wimped out partway through; he got scared when someone walked by, but…well, they didn't do anything, so the Miyu piñata party went on."

"They got several extremely good hits in," Ryohei commented as he finished applying ointment to the open wounds and started wrapping up an ice pack. "You look like you just went three rounds in the ring – did you at least pay them back?"

"I'm…not much of a fighter," She smiled tensely, lifting her hands to take over as he pressed the ice pack to her eye. "I just don't know how to pick my battles."

"Can you describe what they looked like?" Yamamoto asked, stepping forward to peer into her face once more. The swelling in her cheek had begun to die down a little, but she still strongly resembled a marshmallow.

"Absolutely not," She frowned. "I see that look in your eye, Yamamoto Takeshi, and I'm certain that I don't like it."

"What do you mean? I'm just curious!" It was a weak argument. Everyone in the room could sense the bloodlust rolling off of him in waves. His expression showed concern, but his eyes showed…something else.

"Not a chance. It was a bit excessive, but I got what was coming to me, and I'll own up to that. I can handle myself – I don't need some white knight running around getting revenge on my behalf."

While he didn't look happy about it, Yamamoto seemed content to let the issue rest for now. Heaving a sigh, he sat down next to her and tucked a few stray strands of hair behind her ear, frowning as the damage came back into view.

"What were you even fighting about in the first place?"

"…" Her answer to this particular question wasn't so forthcoming. "…my dad." His brow furrowed at that, but she didn't give him the chance to ask another question. "Anyways, I was just a little spooked after that. My dad works night shifts, and I just…I don't know, wanted to have someone around, I guess."

"Well, they obviously hurt you pretty badly," Yuri cut in smoothly. "That would scare anyone. Did you bring clothes?"

"Yeah," She looked embarrassed to admit it. "Enough for a day or two, probably."

"Good. It's too late for you to walk back home – you can spend the night in my room."

"…Are you sure? I know this is a bit sudden."

"Don't think too much of it. There's plenty of room for you – this is your bag?" Yuri pointed to the tattered blue backpack, hoisting it onto her shoulder when Miyu nodded. "Then let's say goodnight for now. We can regroup in the morning."

"Thank you," Her voice was genuine as she stood up and gave another half bow. "All of you – you're treating me far too well. If there's anything I can do in return-"

"You just focus on resting for now," Yamamoto insisted, nudging her towards the door. "Your only job is to heal."

"Well…fine, but don't think I'll forget." She agreed reluctantly, finally joining Yuri out in the hallway. "No matter how you look at it, I owe you – but I guess I can wait to pester you about it tomorrow. For now, I'll just tell you guys 'good night'!"

"Ah, good ni-!"

The door eased shut behind her, prematurely cutting off the boys' chorus of replies.

"We're just around the corner," Yuri called out, already halfway down the hall. "We were originally all right next to each other, but something came up and we had to switch rooms. The last one was too big for me, so I requested one with just a single bed."

"Oh, that's alright," Miyu sprinted up beside her, peering at the keycard lock curiously. "I can just take the floor."

"You know I can't let you do that in good conscience," Yuri glanced down at her with a raised eyebrow, opening the door and waving her in. "You're practically a cripple right now."

"Like I keep saying, it's not _that_ bad!"

"You're not fooling anyone, you know. You're favoring your entire left side. I've been in my fair share of fights, and I know a thorough beating when I see one – you got more than just a few good punches to the face. If I asked you to lift your shirt, I'm guessing you'd resemble an eggplant."

"…you've been in fights?"

Yuri chose to ignore the obvious deflection.

"Is that surprising?"

Miyu took a seat on the corner of the bed and laughed, "In some ways, I guess not. I just kind of assumed you were smarter than me."

"I'm not sure whether to take that as a compliment or an insult." Yuri offered a tiny smirk, leaning the backpack against the wall as she began to pull spare bedding from the closet. "But really – you can't convince me quite so easily."

"Convince you of what?"

"That you're 'just a little spooked'," Dropping the mess of blankets and pillows onto the floor, Yuri made a small attempt to arrange them into something that looked vaguely comfortable. After a few tries, she simply abandoned the project with a shrug and wandered over to Miyu's side, leaning up against the bedpost with her arms crossed. "You wouldn't have come all this way just because of that. So why don't you try being honest – how are you actually feeling right now?"

Miyu leveled an impressively steady gaze on her, refusing to admit to anything at first…but after a few moments, her smile turned watery and she had to look away. Sighing, she drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms tightly around them, turning herself into a protective ball.

"My hands haven't stopped shaking all night, and I kind of feel like puking," She mumbled, pressing the ice pack harder against her face, its contents shifting loudly. "And crying into a pillow, maybe. But let's face it, my eyes really don't need to get any puffier."

"There's no shame in crying. It's a natural response, after going through something traumatic – in fact, I think it might even be healthy."

"No, but there's…weakness in it; kind of like admitting to defeat, and I'm really too proud for my own good. It's a family trait. When my brother was hospitalized, I told myself I couldn't ever cry, no matter how bad things looked. I guess that turned into a habit," Turning to look back at Yuri, she cracked a lopsided smile. "And besides, you're already doing a lot for me. I can't possibly ask you to watch the horrific sight that is me crying – it's just ugly and loud and a lot of snot everywhere. It's pretty gross."

Yuri stared down at her quietly, taking note of the slight tremor in her shoulders, and let out a long breath through her nose.

"Well, that's reassuring. I was starting to think you might be perfect, and that's coming from someone who might be more cynical that Hayato." Letting her lips curl up into a smile, she reached out to give Miyu's shoulder a small, reassuring squeeze. "You're alright, for a city girl."

"Thanks," Miyu grinned, finally relaxing out of the tight ball she had pulled herself into. "I think."

"Don't mention it. In any case, I've got some blankets to wrestle with – are you hungry?"

"Um…just a little. It's a bit too late for a meal, though, isn't it?"

"No harm in getting a snack. Here," Searching her pockets, Yuri pulled out the black card that they had received on their first day there. "I think I saw a vending machine down the hall, across from the elevators. Get whatever you want."

"I can pay for it myself," Miyu offered, but was quickly waved aside.

"It's a company card. I've barely even used it."

"Oh…well, if that's the case…" Sliding off the bed, Miyu turned the card over in her hands a few times, inspecting the ornate gold crest embossed across the surface. "Should I get anything for you?"

"I don't really care, as long as it's sweet."

"Okay," Miyu opened the door and quietly slipped into the hallway. "I'll be right back."

As she padded down the hall barefoot, Miyu couldn't help giggling a bit. Yuri had never struck her as the type to have a sweet tooth, but it made her more…endearing, and a little more human. She always looked so solemn, like she was viewing the world through eyes that had seen too much. The fact that she could like sugary snacks, just like the rest of them, was somehow comforting.

"Company card, huh?" She muttered to herself, lifting the plastic rectangle back up into the light. It looked about as expensive as Yuri had made it sound, and Miyu couldn't help but wonder if the crest was made of real gold. "Just what kind of place do they work for?"

They were well paid, that was for sure. If she had a job like that…

"_Gnff-!_"

"Ah!" Before she could finish the thought, Miyu suddenly found her nose buried in what appeared to be someone's shoulder. Pain tore through the already inflamed tissue, making her stumble backwards with a hiss. "S-sorry! Are you okay?"

"No, don' worreh," She replied automatically, pinching her nose and squinting as her eyes began to water involuntarily. "My fault. I wasn't watching where I was going." Taking a moment to resituate herself, she finally looked up to see who she had run into. "Tsuna! Oh, thank goodness – I thought I had run into some rich big shot stranger."

"That's…definitely not me," He agreed, rubbing the back of his neck with an awkward chuckle. "What are you doing? I thought you went to bed."

"Just getting a quick snack," She pointed at the vending machine behind him, waving Yuri's card in the air. "What about you?"

"I was feeling restless, so I thought I'd go for a walk."

"In your pajamas?" Miyu eyed him doubtfully. "In _this_ weather? It's got to be below thirty outside."

"Oh, I wasn't planning to go outside." He explained quickly, trying to avoid her scrutinizing gaze. "Pacing just helps, and I didn't want to keep Gokudera up."

"I see," Miyu hummed thoughtfully, slowly lowering herself into a crouch as she surveyed what the vending machine had to offer. "Something on your mind?"

"Well…" Tsuna chewed on his lip, trying to figure out how much he could explain without giving too much away. "Kind of, but it's a little complicated."

"And there are a lot of options in this magical glass box, so I can tell I'm going to be here for a while." She grinned, obviously trying to wink at him. With one eye hidden behind an ice pack, though, it just looked like a bit of an exaggerated blink. "I'm more than willing to lend an ear if you need one."

"Er…" Tsuna hesitated. This could be dangerous. There was no way to guarantee that he wouldn't let something about the mafia slip out, but…but Miyu _wasn't_ involved. She wasn't blindly loyal to him, and she didn't have any biased opinions about the mafia or his title or his duty.

Tsuna needed honest advice, and she was a completely neutral party.

She was safe.

"To tell you the truth," He ventured cautiously. "We're in a bit of trouble."

"Trouble?" She turned to face him, propping her elbows up on her knees. "What kind of trouble?"

"I can't really go into specifics, a lot of it is…classified," Tsuna had never been a very good liar, so he resolved to keep everything he'd tell her firmly rooted in the realm of half-truths. "But basically, I came here to conduct business. I'm still in training, and this trip is like a test for me. It was supposed to be simple and straightforward, but some things went wrong, and now we might be in…danger."

"Okay…" Miyu drew the word out with a quizzical look. "What _kind_ of danger?"

"I'm not entirely sure myself," Tsuna leaned back against the wall and dragged his hands across his face. "Lives may be on the line? We're probably being targeted right now? I'm still trying to wrap my head around it."

"That sounds…really bad. A lot worse than I was assuming, admittedly." Standing, Miyu punched a few buttons on the machine and swiped the card through the reader. They stood in silence as it made several loud sounds, finally releasing her snack of choice with a heavy _thud_, but she didn't immediately reach for it. Instead, she just looked at him and said, "So, I'm assuming you can't leave, then."

"I don't know," He replied quickly. "Maybe. I haven't asked, I just…it doesn't feel right, leaving this here, completely unresolved. There are people here who are trying to help me, and they've made some sacrifices. I don't think it's my fault, but I can't bring myself to just abandon the issue. I came here having accepted it as my responsibility, and I…I feel like I should see that through to the end."

"That makes sense…" Miyu muttered. "And here I thought _I_ was having a rough day. But I don't get it," She finally bent down and pushed her hand into the compartment where her bag of sunflower seeds was waiting. "It sounds like you've made your decision. What are you hung up on?"

Tsuna's hands clenched into fists as he spoke, "Everyone else."

"Not quite following," She said slowly, punching in the code for another snack.

"I…they all…they're in danger too, because of me. They followed me here, into this situation, and I never even tried to stop them."

"You said it was supposed to be simple. How could you have known things would turn out this way?"

"It's…that's not the point! Following through with this whole thing was _my_ decision. Whether we'd come here or not, all of that hinged on me – it was never their decision to make. They came with me for…I don't know, support? And I just let them, because they've always been there for me when things got hard. I knew, in the back of my mind, that if something went wrong on this trip, I could count on them to be there and help me. Even if I ordered them to get on a plane and head back to Japan, they wouldn't do it. I should never have let them come with me, I shouldn't have just taken them for granted and assumed-"

Miyu's hand was suddenly in his face, cutting off his tirade.

"That's tough," She admitted after moment, lowering her hand back down to her side. "It really is. I get it, you're worried, and with good reason. And I may not have the whole story, so I don't know if I'm just jumping to conclusions, but…it sounds like you're thinking too hard, Tsuna. From what I'm hearing, it's pretty obvious what your problem is."

Tsuna blinked. "What…what's that?"

"You've got a big head." She smirked, tapping a finger against her temple. "Your ego's swelling up even more than my cheek is."

"I…?"

She laughed at his expression. "Here, let me ask you this: did you grab your friends by the hair and drag them here, kicking and screaming?"

"What? No, of course not!"

"Alright…then, did you order them to get on the plane, with a gun pressed to their backs?"

"N-no!" A bit of color flooded Tsuna's face as he sputtered at the accusation. "What are you-? I would never-!"

"So you're saying they made the decision to get on that plane, all by themselves?"

"Yes!"

"Then…it _was_ their decision to make, wasn't it?"

"…" Tsuna's jaw hung open, his lips trying to form words that wouldn't come together in his mind. What had she just done? Suddenly he felt…discredited.

"Here's your problem, Tsuna – somehow, you've deluded yourself into believing your friends have no choice but to follow you."

"I…don't…"

"Sounds silly coming from someone else, doesn't it?" She asked, shooting him an impish grin. "I know you're technically their employer or something, but it doesn't take a genius to see that that's not what your relationship is forged on. I can tell just by looking at you guys – you don't see each other as just co-workers or associates. You're all friends. You're…you're _family_. And I don't need to ask them in order to tell you, with complete confidence, that they aren't here out of some misplaced sense of loyalty. They're here because they want to be here."

Words had completely escaped Tsuna. He wanted to tell her just how mistaken she was, that she didn't understand the situation, but…she wasn't _wrong_. He couldn't argue against anything that she was telling saying.

"You're a good person, Tsuna. You make people want to follow you – and frankly, whether they do or not…that's not _your_ decision to make. It might be presumptuous of me, but can I make a suggestion?"

"…Go ahead," Tsuna nodded slowly.

"You're wasting your energy, thinking in circles like this. Focusing on regrets isn't going to change your situation; so instead of getting fixated on what you think you could have done or should have done…start thinking about what you're _going_ to do."

Tsuna wet his lips, letting her words roll around in his head for a minute.

"That…is good advice," He finally admitted. "I'd be stupid not to take it."

"Good to know you've got at least that much common sense," She laughed, pressing one of the treats she had just acquired into his open palm. "Here. I'll give you this candy bar, so cheer up, alright?"

Glancing down at the chocolate in his hand, Tsuna felt a tiny smile creep onto his face.

She was right.

She was _right_.

With all the time he had spent in Dying Will Mode, regret had become a significant part of his life, but it wasn't everything. Outside of battle, regret was _useless_. Sitting around blaming himself for the situation wasn't getting him anywhere. It wasn't like anyone had been hurt or killed – it wasn't over. There was nothing he could do about the Trovare or The Commission, but he wasn't helpless. He could still fight; all of them could still fight. It was nothing but a waste of time to think of all the ways he could have avoided this situation, when he could be doing something that was actually useful.

He felt his knuckles pop as his hands clenched into fists, and he could feel his resolve hardening – he was going to _protect_ his family, no matter the cost. Loyalty went both ways, after all.

"Thank you, Miyu," He finally said, looking back up at her. "You've really helped me out."

"That's a nice expression," She only had to take one look into his eyes to know that he no longer felt conflicted. "I think you're gonna be alright."

Pivoting on her heel, she stretched her arms over her head and stifled a yawn.

"_I'm_ going to be a zombie tomorrow if I don't get to sleep soon, though," She chuckled. "So if you don't mind, I think I'm going to turn in for the night."

"Ah, of course. Sorry for keeping you."

"Don't be. I'll see you in the morning, maybe," She waved lazily over her shoulder. "Sleep well!"

Tsuna grinned.

"I think I will."

* * *

><p>When Tsuna's head finally hit the pillow, he found sleep almost immediately, but it was an unfortunately short-lived rest.<p>

It felt like he had only just closed his eyes when a soft knocking woke him back up. He frowned, reluctantly prying one eye open to squint at the clock beside his bed. 4:37…the sun hadn't even begun to rise yet.

The knocking grew louder.

"Go away…" A groggy protest came from the other bed. As the knocking persisted, growing even louder by the second, Gokudera finally threw the covers aside with an angry growl and bolted up.

"Nn…who…?" Tsuna managed to croak out, struggling to rub the sleep from his eyes.

"Go back to sleep, Tenth," Gokudera insisted, marching towards the door with a murderous glint in his eye. "I'll deal with this."

Tsuna couldn't find it in himself to object. Dropping his head back onto his pillow, he let his eyes slide shut and tried to drift back to sleep as the bomber unlocked the door and yanked it open with an angry curse.

It was hard to ignore the sudden cry of, "_W-who are you?!_", though.

"…Gokudera?" Tsuna called out cautiously, his eyes snapping open. "What's wrong?"

"Stay back, Ten- _mff_!"

"Gokudera?!" Ignoring the order, Tsuna rolled out of his warm bed with only a slight pang of regret, and scrambled to the door just in time to see someone forcing their way into the room.

Tsuna couldn't tell if they were male or female, nor could he pick out any distinctive features. While the stranger was physically smaller, they had easily overpowered Gokudera, clamping one hand over the bomber's mouth and slamming him up against the wall with a hissed, "Be _quiet!_"

That split second was all Tsuna needed to enter Hyper Dying Will Mode.

Scowling, he grabbed the assailant's wrist and wrenched it back, forcing them to turn around and face him. Their lips parted in surprise, hesitating for only a split second before bringing their hands up to catch Tsuna's fist, his knuckles just barely brushing their nose. With a small grunt, they rammed their knee into Tsuna's stomach as he swung again, letting out a soft curse when he took the opportunity to wrap his arms around their torso.

"Wait, _wait-!_" They attempted to protest, grabbing futilely at his clothes as he forced them backwards. Their back connected with the wall, hard, and they let out a strained cough. Tsuna was more than prepared to continue their fight, but the stranger simply grabbed two fistfuls of his hair and held on tight, refusing to let him move.

"Tenth!" Gokudera cried, stepping forward to intervene, several sticks of dynamite already in hand, just seconds away from being lit.

"_STOP!_" The stranger finally roared, releasing Tsuna to yank the sunglasses from their face. "It's just _me!_"

"Wha-?" Tsuna froze, staring up at a familiar face. "…Yuri?"

"_Fuck_," Was her only response.

Tsuna blinked a few more times, trying to let his mind catch up with the situation as he eased out of battle mode with an almost audible sizzle.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Gokudera demanded angrily. "At this time of night, what did you think we would do?"

"Recognize me, ideally," She groaned, cracking her neck. "Although I guess that means I did a good job."

"You look like a boy."

"Well, that's the easiest disguise for me, isn't it?"

All the curves that defined her as female had disappeared into a sea of loose, baggy clothes that were clearly a few sizes too large. She had a baseball cap crammed low over her eyes, and the sunglasses that she had been wearing only served to further her anonymity.

"I-I'm sorry," Tsuna apologized quickly. "I thought…"

"Don't, it's my bad," She let out a harsh sigh, eyeing him warily. "Although…that _was_ enlightening. I knew you were strong, but I never imagined…I mean, I've never seen the flames in use. That's the first time in a long while since I've felt any real fear for my life."

Tsuna didn't know how to respond to that. Thinking back, he realized he couldn't blame her – with nothing but Gokudera's safety on his mind at the time, he had been attacking with the sole intent to do whatever it would take to ensure that safety. While he believed he wouldn't have let it come to that, he also couldn't deny the fact that he had been prepared to kill.

"Anyways," She continued smoothly, before he could even try to formulate a reply. "I just wanted to tell you that I'm heading out. I didn't want you thinking I had been kidnapped or something."

"You're heading _out_?" Gokudera repeated disbelievingly. "What part of yesterday's conversation did you not understand?"

"The part where a girl shows up on our doorstep, beaten to a pulp," Yuri countered defensively. "Whoever did that to Miyu, I don't trust them not to try something like that again."

"What, you're her personal escort now? We've got more to worry about! She'll live; a few punches never killed anyone."

"Did you even _see_ her?" Yuri's voice was dangerously low. "Those aren't the kind of wounds you get from someone who knows the meaning of restraint, Hayato. It was more than 'just a few punches'. I'm not risking it."

"But you'll risk exposing yourself to the Trovare?"

She scowled. "I can take care of myself."

"It's too dangerous, Yuri, you _can't_."

"I wasn't asking for permission," She growled defiantly, slipping the sunglasses back onto her face.

Gokudera sputtered angrily for a moment before turning to Tsuna, like a child tattling to their parent, "Tell her, Tenth!"

"Eh…" Tsuna scratched at the back of his head, suddenly feeling the urge to cower under their combined glare, both equally severe. "…I don't know, Gokudera, I…feel like she has a point?"

"_Tenth!_" He cried, looking utterly betrayed.

"Look, if something _did_ happen to Miyu, I don't think I'd be able to forgive myself, and I doubt Yamamoto would appreciate it either. Besides, we _both_ just mistook Yuri for some kind of assassin-"

"Wow, I wonder how you got that impression…" Yuri muttered flatly, making him wince at his choice of words.

"M-my point is, she's disguised well. If even we couldn't recognize her, I feel pretty confident that the Trovare won't either."

"…" Gokudera glanced between them, clearly weighing his chances of changing their minds, before finally just making a sound of disgust. "Whatever, do what you want. If something goes wrong, though, don't think I'll hold my tongue."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Yuri sneered, turning to leave. "Anyways, Miyu's waiting for me in the lobby, so I should go."

"I'll see you two off," Tsuna offered, following her out. "I need to walk off some of this adrenalin."

When they stepped out of the elevator, they found Miyu practically bouncing in place, staring at her watch and tapping her foot impatiently.

"There you are!" She exclaimed when she finally saw them. "What kept you?"

"Sorry," Yuri apologized quickly. "We just had to iron out a small misunderstanding."

_That's certainly a way of putting it_, Tsuna thought bitterly.

"Why do you have to leave so early?" He asked. "You've barely gotten any sleep."

"I have morning practice at the rink," Miyu explained quickly, gathering her things. "And I told you about how I trade work for lessons, right? I help clean and set up every other weekday, so I need to get there forty five minutes early. It's a shorter walk from here, but I also need to buy some concealer, and I don't know how long that'll take."

"Concealer?" He immediately felt stupid for asking when she gave him a pointed look, gesturing towards her face. "Oh."

"Can't have people asking questions and ruining my street cred," She joked halfheartedly. She had improved quite a bit overnight. The swelling had all gone down, leaving her with just a slightly puffy nose and a massive bruise.

"It's too bad Gokudera isn't the one going with you," Tsuna mused. "Then we'd have a chance to talk about the party."

"Party?" Miyu instantly perked up at that, almost like a dog. "What party?"

"For Hayato," Yuri explained. "His birthday passed by a couple weeks ago, and we didn't get a chance to celebrate it."

"Oh!" Miyu clapped her hands together, a thrilled expression on her face. "A surprise party? That's so sweet! You have to let me help – I don't think he likes me very much, but you just _have_ to, I haven't thrown a party in so long!"

"Well, I don't think we were planning on doing anything really extravagant-"

"No, no, I've got it all figured out! You can throw it at my house! Tomorrow's Saturday, so I can probably ask to skip practice…we can split into two groups, one to distract Gokudera, while the other gets everything ready at my place. We can just pick up a simple cake at the grocery store on the way back to the rink later today, and there's this adorable little party supply store right next to my ballet studio, so we can go shopping for decorations after my class! It's perfect!"

Yuri blinked, and turned to Tsuna, "Boss?"

"…well…" He thought it over, letting a smile spread across his face. "That's more planning than we've been able to do all week. I say it's worth a shot."

"This will be so much fun, it's like a secret mission!" Miyu practically squealed, clapping her hands again. "Oh, but now we've got a lot to do, so let's get going, Yuri!"

"Sure," Cramming one hand into her pocket, Yuri slung her other arm around Miyu's shoulders. "Lead the way."

Tsuna blinked.

All she had done was shift her posture a bit, rounding her shoulders and relaxing her spine. Her head was now held at a slight tilt, and a lazy, closed smile now defined her expression. The changes were quick and subtle, but suddenly…Yuri could easily pass as Miyu's confident and slightly possessive boyfriend.

"I'll see you later, Boss," She waved over her shoulder as they turned towards the exit, and Tsuna absently noted the fact that her voice had deepened. Not so much as to sound forced, but just…masculine.

"Yeah," He replied, shaking his head with a disbelieving smile. "I'd tell you to be careful, but…something tells me that's not necessary."

"What?" Miyu asked, her head swiveling to glance between them. "I don't get it."

Yuri just laughed, the sound reeking of boastful self-confidence.

* * *

><p>If Gokudera had been in a bad mood before, it only worsened when Yamamoto woke up and announced his own departure.<p>

"Not you, too," The bomber had growled, looking ready to start throwing a few punches of his own. "I know you and Yuri are both idiots, but I thought that you, at least, would have some sense of priority."

"Sorry," Yamamoto had apologized in turn, making it clear that he didn't intend to change his stance on the matter. "But I promised Kazuo-sempai that I'd visit again by the end of the week."

"Well, at least let us go with you! You must have _some_ instinct for self-preservation."

"Sorry," It was all he was capable of saying. "He was hoping we could have some time to catch up a little more, just the two of us."

It was a blatant lie, of course. Kazuo wasn't the type to ever turn down a potential friendship – he was like Yamamoto in that way. In fact, the two of them were so similar that they could have passed as brothers; there were a few times, back in Namimori, when they _had_ passed as brothers. It was a harmless prank that spoke volumes of their friendship.

But things had changed over the years, and even if they still looked similar, a stranger wouldn't have any trouble guessing their lack of blood relation. Where Kazuo had grown softer, gentle and resigned, Yamamoto had only grown sharper, as if he had molded himself around the edge of his blade. The change was subtle, but it had happened quickly.

Just one year ago, Yamamoto never would have been able to lie to his friends' faces quite so convincingly.

In fact, just one year ago, he never would have imagined he'd have any reason to.

"Takeshi!" Kazuo exclaimed, a grin quickly taking the place of his surprise when Yamamoto knocked lightly on the open door to his room.

"Is this a bad time?" He asked. A nurse was stooped over Kazuo's bedside, fiddling with the I.V. stand.

"No, no, she's just switching out the bags. Come in, have a seat; you didn't tell me you were going to be visiting today!"

"It was kind of a spur of the moment thing," Shuffling in, Yamamoto took his usual place beside the bed, but he didn't sit. "Actually, I'm here because I…have something I need to talk to you about."

Kazuo frowned, the lighthearted joy receding from his face.

"You know how bad that sounds, especially coming from you, right?" He tried to joke. "Shouldn't I be the one with the 'bad news' face? I don't get many privileges while stuck in this bed, so you'd better have a good reason for taking that one away from me."

"It's about Miyu," Yamamoto blurted, and Kazuo shut his mouth with an audible click. "When did you last see her?"

"…Yesterday. Why?"

"And she looked fine?"

"Yes…? Why wouldn't she?"

"What time did you see her?"

"Seven – she always stops by for an hour after practice, I – Takeshi, what is this about?"

Yamamoto clenched his jaw, lifting his face to stare out the window as he made calculations in his head, trying to connect the dots, weighing the potential consequences of revealing too much, trying not to ignore the obvious consequences of revealing too little…

"_Takeshi_," Kazuo insisted. "What's going on?"

"…She showed up at our hotel last night," He finally explained. "With half of her face looking like a raw hamburger patty. She told us she had offended some boys from her school, and that they ambushed her later."

Kazuo visibly paled, his eyes wide and his mouth set into a grim line, but he said nothing.

"If you saw her at seven, and she was fine, then that means they would have attacked her hours after school had gotten out, and she's told me what her schedule is like – she's commuting all over the city, all day. The chances that all of them would just happen to be right where she was, that late in the day…it can't be a coincidence. And on the day she took us to the ice rink, I saw these bruises _all_ over her, covering her back, her legs…those aren't the kinds of wounds you get from just falling. I may be oblivious a lot of the time, but I'm not blind or stupid. I can tell that there's more to the story than what she'd have me believe, and I'm worried she might have gotten involved in something-"

"Stop," Kazuo finally murmured, putting a hand up to cut off Yamamoto's rambling thought process. "That's enough, I get it."

"Well…what do you think? Is there something going on at her school? Should we…I don't know, do something, tell somebody? Should we let your dad know?"

"Takeshi…" The whisper was so soft, Yamamoto wondered if he'd just imagined it.

Kazuo was staring hard at his hands, which were clenched into fists on his lap, trembling slightly. He looked like he was struggling to come to a decision, teeth clamped tightly onto his bottom lip.

Finally, he heaved a large sigh and spoke, his voice flat and breathy, "It wasn't…anyone from school…who did that to her."

Yamamoto suddenly found himself wondering when he had stopped breathing.

"…what do you mean?" When Kazuo didn't immediately reply, Yamamoto couldn't keep himself from reaching out and grabbing his shoulders, jostling the hospitalized boy a bit more roughly than he had intended to. "If they didn't do that to her, then who _did_?"

"…You have to understand, Takeshi," Kazuo finally spoke after a moment, gripping Yamamoto's wrists with a sudden desperation that was startling. "Things haven't been easy for us! When we came here, we didn't have much money to begin with, and then I got sick and the hospital bills started piling up…eventually, it's just too much, Takeshi, it's just _too_ _much_!"

"What…?" Yamamoto released him, surprised by the abrupt change of behavior, but Kazuo continued to cling to him like a lifeline. His mouth hung open while his lips continued to form shapes, like he was trying to force the words out, but no sound came.

"…it…it piles up…you know…?"

"Sempai," Kneeling, Yamamoto took his shoulders again, gently this time. "What are you trying to say?"

"…he started drinking," Kazuo finally managed, dropping his gaze to the floor. "Our dad. He…he was already working two jobs when the hospital bills started coming, and nothing's been working, and he was putting so much pressure on himself to take care of us after he left mom, and he just…"

Yamamoto's eyes were as wide as saucers.

"Your dad…hits Miyu?"

"He doesn't…I know this sounds bad, defending him, but he really doesn't mean to. He's always treated us well, you remember. He just…he's not himself when he gets drunk, he can't control himself, and all that anger and frustration he keeps bottled up just-"

"You can't be _serious_," Yamamoto snapped. His voice was suddenly wobbling uncontrollably. "You didn't see what Miyu looked like last night, he used her like a _punching bag_."

"I _know_, okay? I've seen the aftermath of his outbursts, I know it's bad!"

"And you're just letting it happen?" They were shouting now. "You knew about this, and you haven't said anything?"

"She and I talked about it; this is what she wants. She's strong, she can handle it-!"

"He could _kill_ her!"

Kazuo suddenly slammed his fists down onto the edge of his bed, leaning over to scream directly into Yamamoto's face, "_WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE ME DO?!_"

Yamamoto took a reflexive step back, staring at his friend in shock. Kazuo _never_ lost his temper.

"She's my _family!_ If we tell someone and she's taken out of his custody, I can't replace him! I'm in a god damn hospital bed! Do you think the court would let me take care of a minor? She'd be taken away!" The room was suddenly filled with a rapid beeping from the heart monitor. Kazuo's face was red and tears were pooling in his eyes, but his volume only continued to increase. "Do you think I'm fine, just sitting here every day, watching her come in with a new bruise each week? How do you think I feel, knowing my sister needs someone to protect her, and I'm not able to do a single thing about it? Every day she's out there fighting, being stronger than I could ever be, taking on the whole world while it stomps her into the ground again and again and again, and all I can do is lay here and wait for my _FUCKING LEG TO BE SAWED OFF!_"

"S-sempai…" Yamamoto breathed, watching in horror as Kazuo dissolved into a full on tantrum. He was kicking, screaming, reaching out to knock over anything that was unfortunate enough to be within his reach. He wouldn't stop screaming.

The hospital staff had heard the commotion by now, and several nurses ran in to intervene, trying to restrain the boy and calm him down. One of them turned to Yamamoto and said something he couldn't understand.

"Wait," He protested as he was pushed towards the door. "Wait, no, th-this is my fault, I have to apologize, I can fix this-!"

With a final firm shove, he was expelled into the hall and the door was slammed in his face. He could still hear the raised voices within, even through the thick slab of wood, and he suddenly grew painfully aware of the heavy guilt gnawing at his stomach.

He turned away from the door and paced up and down the hall a few times, rubbing his hands over his face, pressing his fingers firmly against his eyes. With a frustrated yell of his own, he suddenly spun around and sent his fist flying into the wall. Pain tore through his knuckles and up his arm, but all he could think about was how satisfyingly loud that had been, how solid it had felt…and so he did it again.

And again.

And again.

He punched and punched until the skin on his knuckles split and his blood stained the wall like a signature, a testament to the fact that he had been there, and still he refused to stop until he heard someone approaching.

Not wanting to deal with trying to explain himself across a language barrier, he finally abandoned his post and briskly made his way towards the elevator.

While waiting for it to arrive from whatever floor it was stuck on, he noticed a battered old payphone. It was mounted to the wall, hidden in the shadows with only the light from a bright red 'exit' sign bouncing off its abandoned husk. Yamamoto stared at it, wondering how long it had been since the outdated piece of technology had gotten any use.

When the elevator finally arrived and slid its doors open invitingly, he didn't bother stepping in. Instead, he moved closer to the payphone, and pulled the receiver off of its hook.

All of the Nomiya's problems were monetary, he mused, staring down at the clunky device in his hand as it emitted a continuous dial tone. If they just had enough money for the hospital bills…no, for the treatment…then Kazuo would live. He would get better. And if he got better, he wouldn't just be able to protect Miyu, he could help support his family, bring in extra income. It would take the burden off their father, relieve enough stress so that he could focus on recovering and becoming the man he used to be. They didn't deserve any of this misfortune, but it could be reversed. It all came down to money – all they needed was that one little push, enough to cover the cost of Kazuo's treatment…

Yamamoto could give them that much.

Bracing the phone between his shoulder and his ear, he dug some spare change out of his pocket and fed it into the machine, then dialed the number he had committed to memory several nights ago. It rang twice, and then there was a small click followed by an English-speaking voice.

"_This is Jonathan Sterling_."

"It's me. Yamamoto Takeshi."

"_Oh! I wasn't expecting to hear from you quite so soon, sir._"

"Something came up. Do you remember that offer I asked you about?"

"_I believe I know the one you're talking about. High stakes, high reward?_"

"That's the one."

"_Yes…what about it?_"

Yamamoto took a deep breath, staring hard at the wall. Tsuna wasn't the only one steeling his resolve this week.

"…I'd like to take you up on it."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Oh, I've gone and done it again. I'm so sorry for the almost four month long break - things got a little hectic, I had classes, work, etc. I just had a really hard time motivating myself to get anything done on this story. I _did_ use some of that time to work on another idea that I had been wanting to write up for a while, which is now published on my profile as A Mother's Love. It's been highly experimental so far, with a different tone and chapters of much shorter length, and I've had a great time writing it! It's gotten some pretty good feedback, so if you're interested and have the time, please check it out! I've got some high hopes for it.

In other news, my profile now has a nifty new poll at the top - I have several KHR story ideas in the works that I'm having trouble prioritizing, so if one particular idea strikes you as something you might like to see eventually, I'd really appreciate it if you could cast a vote! I'm nothing without my readers, after all, so all of your opinions really matter to me!

Finally, while I wish I could say I've got a chance to take it easy now that summer's here, I'm afraid the season only has an even busier schedule in store for me. I'll be doing my best to update as regularly as I can, but it's likely not going to be very swift. Still, I hope you're enjoying the story and will stick around - for those of you who are still with me, even after all this time, thank you so much for your love and support! It's all that motivates me to keep doing what I love here, so I owe you the world. Love all of you, and I hope the Summer's treating you well! Congratulations on making it through yet another year!


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